Determi-Nation
by WinterSpark
Summary: Poor Italy just want to get away from his training with Germany. Instead, he was thrust into the Underground, a strange world of monster and magic. With his determination keeping him fueled, will he ever find a way out? What kind of friends will he make? And.. what of the other countries? Reviews are greatly appreciated! Cover image is by APDubtalia.
1. Falling Down a Rabbit Hole

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale. I don't really have the skills anyway...**

* * *

 _Prologue:_

 _Falling Down a Rabbit Hole_

* * *

The blinding light slowly faded, and Italy opened his eyes. All the friends he had made throughout his journey, Toriel, Papyrus, Sans and all sorts of monsters that came defending for him... Were gone. Instead, what now stood in the Barrier Room, or rather, who, was a young monster, looking similar to Asgore and Toriel. He wore a lime green and yellow striped sweater, with dark blue pants. His feet was barefoot.

"Finally..." The monster sniffed as it felt a few unwilling tears stream down his cheek. "I was so tired of being a flower."

 _"It can't be, can it? After all this time, you..."_

The auburn haired Italian took a step back as the monster turned to face him. A smile grew on the monster's face, but the other did not return the smile, looking and feeling extremely worried. Nevertheless, the monster continued, oblivious to his inner turmoil.

"Howdy! Chara, are you there? It's me, your best friend..."

...

 **A few days prior.**

"ITALY! GET BACK HERE!"

"Ve~! I'm sorry, Germany! But I don't want to do the training today!"

"ITALY!"

As if recognising his German friend as an enemy, the Italian ran faster until he was a mere blur to his friend's eyes. Knowing it was useless to catch up, as Italians run like the wind when they were threatened, Germany slowed down until he came to a stop. Grumbling under his breath, he turned around and started walking away, deciding to get ready for the World Meeting instead.

...

"Ve~... Where am I?" Italy strolled along the trees, wondering where he was and how he got there. Rather expectedly, he had gotten himself lost after running away from a certain German. Pausing, he glanced around his surroundings. All he saw were trees, boulders and bushes for kilometres. Above him, though, the trees started thinning out. So he was on top of a mountain.

"I can't have run that far.. right?" A gust of wind blew past him, causing him to shiver. He was only wearing his white cotton shirt and his blue track pants when Germany woke him up. "Ve... It's so cold. I should probably head down."

However, as he began his path down, Italy accidentally tripped on a stray root that poked out of the ground..

... And found himself falling down a gigantic and deep chasm that was definitely _not_ there when he climbed uphill. Needless to say, the auburn haired Italian screamed for help.

"Germany! Romano! Japan! Somebody, help me!"

...But nobody came.

* * *

 **Short prologue, but it will get longer, I promise.**

 **So, here we have Italy replacing Frisk. I mean, ya gotta admit, they are similar. Ever closed eyes and the heart of a pacifist. Although, Italy probably couldn't kill anyone because he's a coward. But hey! Who am I to judge? Just ask HetaOni.**

 **Due to my recent play through of Undertale (The pacifist route, I couldn't muster up the courage to play genocide.) My mind has been obsessing over this fandom. Especially over a certain, cough, Prince of Monsters. How do I explain to my parents that I'm in love with a cow?**

 **The life of a fangirl, right?**

 **I decided to contribute a little. Spread out moi l'amour(my love) out there. Bear in mind that this will contain spoilers, particularly the pacifist and neutral route. I will try to make this a little original, meaning it will differ from the story line, but not so much, I think.**


	2. Meeting a Certain Flower

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter I:_

 _Meeting a Certain Flower_

* * *

A strong pain was all he felt when he landed on the ground below. Dimly, Italy could feel his hands brushed something soft and bouncy all around him. He must had landed on something that somewhat softened his fall. It did not absorb all the impact, though.

For a long while, he just lied there, unable to move as he waited the pain to recede into a dull, numbing itch. Honey-brown eyes fluttered open, staring up at the chasm that he had fallen into. Slowly, as to not invoke any pain, he turned his head and glanced around the surrounding.

From what he could see, he was lying on pretty bed of golden flowers. Purple cave wall surrounded him, leaving no exit except for above and a tunnel ahead. Speaking of which, his head snapped upwards, feeling his heart fell as he gazed. The somewhat huge chasm was reduced to a mere dot, as big as a large There was no way a normal human could had survive that kind of fall.

Italy frowned, sitting up. Just how far down had he fallen?

His thoughts lingered to his friends, wondering what they were doing above. Would they be looking for him? His brother certainly would. Germany had helped him in the past, and he was sure that he could do it again. But..

 _Would he?_ Like a taunting voice, the thought lingered. He was acutely aware of how the countries, including him, had treated him. Except for nations like Japan, he was much too polite for that. There was no telling if he would even bother with Italy now.

"Romano.." He drew his knees to his chest, sniffing softly. He was stuck with no food, no cell phone to call for help, at which even then, the reception could not travel this far down, and no way out, save for that cave tunnel. Granted, he was a nation, nations could not die, except under certain circumstances. For some reason, an image of a mansion appeared in his head. "Germany, I'm scared."

 _"...t's... okay.."_

"Ve?!" Surprised and startled, Italy stood and frantically look around, trying to find where that whisper came from. He could not see anyone in sight, though, it was as if no one was there. "Who's there?"

The voice came again after a moment, noticeably louder and clearer this time.

 _"Just stay.. determined..."_

"Determined..." He trailed off in thought. Now, he could feel a presence near him, watching his movement. Could it be an angel? "Ve, grazie, bella! I'll be sure to follow your advice."

The presence faded, as if satisfied with the results. The auburn haired Italian gazed ahead the dark cave and back up at the chasm. He could see it was starting to be dark, judging from the orange-purplish sky.

A small smile tugged his lips as he felt a spark lighting within him. Determination. "I hope they're alright. For now, there's only one way to go."

He started walking away from the beam of evening sunlight and into the dark caverns ahead.

 ***The thought of the well being of your friends and family.. It fills you with determination.**

 ***Progress saved.**

...

The next room he entered was too dark to see anything. However, Italy could see a ray of light shining upon a small patch of grass in the center of the room, at which a flower was planted. As he approached it, it appeared to have a.. face?

"Howdy!" The flower cheerfully greeted. "I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower."

Italy yelped, taking a step back in surprise. The flower did not seem to be offended by the movement, as it continued. "You must be new to the Underground, aren'tcha?"

Now that he was closer, he could see the strange plant properly. It had healthy green stem, and bright yellow petals. Very similar to the bed of flowers he saw earlier, he silently mused, only that this had a face. It seemed eager to make friends too, with it's bright smile. He nodded, smiling back.

"Si!" Italy looked back at the door he had entered through and back at the flower. "I didn't really mean to get lost here, though.."

Flowey hummed thoughtfully. "If you don't mind me asking, what were you doing before coming here?"

"W-well, I was running away a friend of mine, Germany, you see." The auburn haired Italian explained like any Italians would, speaking animatedly with complete hand gesturings. "He wanted me to run laps and do push ups when all I wanted to have siesta and eat pasta. So, I ran and found myself up on this really tall mountain! I don't really know the name of it, though. When I tried to go back down, I tripped and fell into this huge hole!"

"I'm not sure if I got that.." The flower tilted his head to the side, watching as the nation took a deep breath when he finished. It appeared to be confused before recognition lit it's eyes. "Gosh, I didn't get your name."

"Ve.. I forgot about that.." Sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, he cheerfully introduced himself. "My name is Italy! It's nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet'cha." Flowey closed his eyes, humming a tune. "Golly, someone should show you the ropes around here. I guess the little ol' me should do the job."

It stuck it's tongue out to the side and winked. The nation smiled and giggled, relieved that he had found someone to guide him around this odd wonderland he had found himself in.

"Thank you, Flowey!"

"It's no problem." The flower's grin widened, pleased to be of service. "Are you ready?"

Italy nodded, and the room, if it was possible since it was already dark, darkened suddenly, limiting his vision so that he could only see Flowey. He glanced around, startled when he felt it. There was a weird pressure on his chest and he felt a tugging sensation before it faded. Looking down, he gasped. There, floating where his lungs would be, was a glowing heart.

"You see that heart? That's your SOUL. The very culmination of your entire... being..." Flowey trailed off as it stared at the soul. The heart that the nation had materialised was a passionate blood red. _Just like her,_ It thought, lightly frowning. _But it looks different.. somehow._ The outline of the heart was the difference, as it shone a bright and beautiful gold. "Ahem. Are you listening to me?"

"Ve?" The nation, who had been staring at his soul, poking it gently, looked back at the flower, who looked annoyed at being ignored. "I'm so sorry, Flowey. I didn't mean to ignore you. It's just so pretty!"

"Clearly." It chuckled as he twirled around, a sudden unidentified glint appearing in it's eyes. "Anyway, your SOUL starts off weak, but it can become strong if you gain enough LV."

"What's LV?"

"Why, LV is LOVE, of course!"

"Oh." Italy smiled and slouched his shoulders, feeling like he wanted to take a nap soon. "I'm so glad. I thought it's like one of those silly games America always talk about."

"Yep! You want some LOVE, don'tcha?" Five white like objects appeared from Flowey. It looked away strangely as it said it's next sentence. "LOVE is shared through little white... 'friendliness pellets'."

 _"Whatever you do, don't trust him. He's a liar."_

He froze, hearing that same, soft voice from earlier. In front of him, the flower continued, oblivious to the voice he had heard.

"Are you ready? Catch as many as you can."

 _"I'm warning you now, Italy. If you want to live, dodge those bullets."_

The 'friendliness pellets' moved towards him, but he stepped aside, just barely grazing his soul with them. Flowey's smiled faltered, and Italy was starting to see how much of it was an act.

"Hey, buddy. You missed them. Let's try that again, alright?"

Five more pellets appeared and shot towards him. Again, he dodged them, now completely silent as a shadow covered his eyes. The flower morphed it's face, appearing and glaring menacingly at the nation.

"You know what's going on here, do you?"

"...Yeah." Italy nodded, glancing at it with tearful eyes. "I trust you, you know?"

"Well, you have to be an idiot to do that, so.." Flowey began to laugh. "DIE!"

A circular row of pellet bullets appeared around him, immediately shooting towards him. The Italian did not feel any physical damage, but as cracks appeared on his souls, he wheezed and coughed painfully. He could feel himself losing consciousness as row after row of bullets attacked him. Italy collapsed on his knees, trying vainly to protect his soul by hugging himself tightly though, it did not seem to be effective.

Flowey looked frustrated, shooting row upon row of bullets with every word spoken. "Why. Aren't. You. DYING?!"

Expression full of pain, the Italian fell to the floor, just barely awake. His soul was filled with cracks and seemed to be close to breaking. The flower examined him closer, grinning once again as he realised the problem. "Oh, my... I didn't think you could gain so much LOVE. You're not as innocent as you seem, aren't'tcha?"

Only a mumble could be heard as a response.

"No matter. Once I gain your SOUL, I'll get the other SOULS and..." It laughed, a last row of bullets materialising from him and surround the nation. "Just die."

The bullets began to shoot towards him, but much more slower as if mocking him. _So nations_ can _die, huh..._ Italy closed his eyes, unwilling to see the deadly pellets coming closer and closer. _I'm sorry, fratello.._

 _"Just stay alive, damnit! I swear I'll kill that flower if we ever make it out here alive!"_

He smiled when he heard the voice once again. The presence seemed to protectively hugging him, as if trying to shield him from the bullets. He softly whispered, smiling a defeated smile.

"I'm sorry.. Bella.. But at least I get to see Grandpa Rome again. And... Holy Rome.."

" _Oh yeah? What about your friends? The ones living on the surface. And your brother? What will he say when he found you dead, huh? If you don't want to live, then fine. But at least live for their sake!"_

The words echoed around his mind. He hugged his chest tighter, feeling his cracked and dimly glowing soul pulsing brighter than before. The very same spark within him grew. The nation was too tired to form words, but gave a smile. _You're right.._

 _"Yeah, that's right!"_

Just as the bullets enclosed on him, they disappeared. Flowey started back, confused. It was about to shoot another round of bullets when an orange flame appeared and shot at it. Panicked, the flower ducked and burrowed into the ground.

"What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth." An unfamiliar voice mused, footsteps shuffling faster and faster. "Are you fine, little one?"

Italy cracked open his eyes, his blurry vision seeing a white and purple blur as it rushed towards him. He tried to move away, afraid that whoever this was, he or she could be just like Flowey. Instead, a sense of warmth and calmness spread over him, successfully keeping him still.

 _"It's alright, Italy."_ The voice remarked, a hint of nostalgia in its tone. _"You can trust her."_

* * *

 **Haha. Finally, I can post this. I haven't find the time to reread, so please excuse the typos, alright?**

 **So, explaination time. The reason why I sorta imagine Italy's soul to be like that is because of his status as a nation. Particularly the golden lining around the heart. Its not the same white colour as monster souls as they represent humans. And at the same time, without their status, they are just as vulnerable as humans are. I'd imagine nations like America could have a yellow soul (represent justice) and Canada.. maybe a green soul (represent kindness)? I dunno.**

 **Now for the high LOVE. Since nations had lived for hundreds, some thousands, of years, they all have to go through war at some point in their lives. In my opinion, with every war they had to go through, their LOVE increases. Kinda.**

 **That's my explaination anyway. What are your thoughts about this? What colour souls do you think the nations best fit with?**

 **Ah, and one more thing. I can be very busy at times, so don't expect me to update quickly.**

 **Update 3/4: Fixed the grammar, changed a little for some of the sentence, as the structure strike me as odd.**


	3. Making Phone Calls

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter II_

 _Making Phone Calls_

* * *

"Can you open your eyes?"

 _Who... who is it?_ Moaning softly, Italy opened his eyes. Honey-brown orbs dulled in pain and exhaustion slowly focused to the scene in front of him. What he saw made him yelped backwards. An anthropomorphic animal, resembling a goat, knelt beside him, gently cradling his head in her arms. She wore a long dark blue, almost purple robe with a strange symbol etched on the chest.

He groaned in pain when he felt his head hit the floor. The creature gasped and quickly inspected his head, just barely missing his curl. She, as the voice had implied that she was a female, sighed in relief. "You should not move around too much, little one. You took quite a hit from that creature. I do not know how you survived your encounter with it."

"You..." He started, but coughed instead. Flowey really took a number out of him. He felt as if his vocal cords could break. She quickly hushed him, patting his back to ease the coughs.

"Hush, my child. You should not speak, either." She took out a worn flask from underneath her robes and passed it to him. "Drink, little one. You will much better."

He nodded, gratefully accepting the drink. The liquid tasted like clear, fresh water. Clearing his throat, he tried to express his thanks. "Grazie... I thought I.. was dead there..."

"It is fine. Do try not to strain yourself." She stood up, reaching a paw to help the auburn haired nation up. "I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. Every day, I passed here to see if anyone had fallen. You are the first human to fall in a long time."

Italy frowned. First human to fall in a long time? Had there been others that fell before him? He also wanted to explain that he was not a human, but a nation. Seeing as he couldn't really talk at the moment, though, he kept silent. Perhaps he could explain later.

"Let me guide you through the catacombs." Toriel started to walk into the doorway behind her, crossing the patch of greenery in the room. The Italian followed behind, nervously glancing behind occasionally. The next room they entered was certainly brighter than before. Purple brick like walls covered the sides. Ahead of him, two grey flights of stairs lead up to the same floor above. As he got closer, Italy could see red leaves were piled up in the gap between the stairs, as well as some leaves scattered about.

 _I just hope I can get back soon_ , he thought as he climbed up the stairs, slowly sipping on the flask of water.

"Welcome to your new home, innocent one." The creature said as they entered the next room, facing him. "Allow me to educate you in the operation of the Ruins."

It was a small room, with green vines up the walls. There was a sign beside the door, stone plates on the right side of the room and a yellow switch on the wall north of the plates. She proceeded to step on four of the six plates and clicked the switch before returning to her original position. The previously locked door opened with a thud. Italy watched curiously at her actions.

"The Ruins is full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys." She explained, gesturing to the left of her, which were where the puzzle were. "One must solve them to move from room to room. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them."

The nation smiled and made an attempt to examine the puzzles further, but was stopped by a sudden throbbing in his head. He closed his eyes and groaned softly. Concerned, Toriel moved to stand next to him.

"Here, allow me to help you." She placed her paws on his back, and a green glow emitted faintly before fading. Italy's headache disappeared, and he could breath easier now.

"How... did you do that?" He asked, looking at her with wonder in his eyes. "Was it magic? I thought magic doesn't exist!"

"Indeed it was." The creature smiled, ruby eyes glinting in affection. "Magic do exist, innocent one. It exist all around us, especially in places like the Underground and our kind, the monsterkind, are able to harness it's power."

"That's amazing!" He beamed, before looking at her with a curiosity of a child. "Tell me more!"

...

The house was empty, too empty for his liking.

Romano sighed as he entered the house he and his brother shared. The northern part of Italy had been too quiet these couple of days. Not even bothering to call him like he used to. Everytime he tried to call his brother, it ended in a voice mail.

That had never happened. Not even when Veneziano was feeling down and depressed.

He was getting worried.

...

"I... see.." Toriel looked surprised and thoughtful based on what he had told her. "I never knew such beings exist."

As the two moved from room to room, Italy decided to tell her about what he was, his culture, his people. Although he left out certain details, such as the wars he had faced in the past. There was no need to mention it to her. What that flower had told him... Frankly, it disturbed him. Why does it sound like a bad thing to have high LOVE? He briefly wondered what it meant.

"Si.." He nodded, looking down. Nations were not supposed to reveal their true nature to humans, there was no telling what would happened if they did. However, Toriel was not a human and he felt as if he could trust her enough with his secret.

"And there are others as well?"

"Yeah.." Once again, he nodded. "Ve, there's so many of us. Germany, Prussia, Japan. There's my big brother, Romano, too! I really miss them.."

The creature smiled at the Italian's affection. It would seem that he cared for them dearly. It faltered a little, though, when she thought deeper about it. She shook the trail of thought off. There was a surprise needed to be ready, after all.

"Oh my.." She looked behind her. They had been talking for so long, she did not realised that they had reached to the end of this room. "It appears that I had forgotten about this room. I was supposed to give you a test, you see. To test your independence."

"However, it appears that you're very well capable of handling yourself." Toriel smiled, the nation looked curiously at her. He did not say anything, though, so she continued. "I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while. Please remain here. It's too dangerous to explore by yourself."

"Where will you go?" Italy looked worried at the idea of being alone.

"Ah, that remains a secret for a while." Her ruby eyes lit up, as she reached into her pockets. "I have an idea. I will give you a CELL PHONE. If you have a need for anything, anything at all, feel free to call me."

He took the phone. It looked rather ancient and blocky, with a antenna poking out of the top. Needless to say, it was very much unlike the cell phone he was used to. The creature glanced behind her and back at the auburn haired nation.

"Be good, alright?"

Nodding, he watched as she left him alone. He sighed softly and looked at the phone in his hands, wondering if he could call someone from above.

 _"Try it."_

"Bella.." The Italian smiled softly. He did not know who the voice was, but it had helped him before. So, he would trust it. Was the voice female? It sounded like a child now that he thought about it. "I want to thank you for saving me."

 _"Spare me the sentiments, will you? Do bear in mind that I did it not for your sake, but my own."_

"Ve? What do you mean by that?"

 _"As if I will tell someone like you. Besides, weren't you thinking of calling somebody?"_

"That's right!" He glanced down at the phone, before hesitantly typing down a number he was familiar with. _Please let this work, please let this work..._

The beeping stopped, signalling someone had picked up.

"Who the fuck is this? Why are you calling at this hour?"

"Fratello!" Italy cried out, overjoyed. "I'm so glad this works!"

"Veneziano, you bastard!" The previously sleepy and grumpy Italian immediately shouted at him. "Where the hell have you been?! And why are you calling on this number?"

"I have so much to tell you." He remained unfazed, and simply sighed happily. "I'm so scared, though. It's been such a weird day for me. Actually, I don't even know what time it is anymore."

"You're calling at fucking three in the morning, you asshole." He grumbled, now calmed down to a point where he could have a conversation properly. "Do you know how worried I am? I tried calling you on your phone for two days. Everyone was worried too, you know?"

The auburn haired Italian smiled. It wasn't everyday that his brother would admit his concern for him. He leaned on the wall, playing with the leaves on the vines.

"Ve, I know, Romano. I admit, it hadn't been an easy night for me. In fact, you wouldn't even believe me if I told you what happened."

"Try me."

"Ve?"

"Chigi- just tell me what happened. I'll be the judge of that."

"Okay!" Italy chirped out, beginning his tale so far. Getting tricked by Flowey, meeting Toriel, finding out that magic was real. Although, the last was probably obvious when that flower created and shot bullets at him. He left out the detail about the voice, though. When he finished, his brother was silent.

"You're right. That's... hard to believe."

"I know, right?" He chuckled, causing Romano to snap at him.

"Stop laughing, idiota!" His brother sighed. "So, what will you do now?"

"What?" The auburn haired Italian paused, standing up straight. "Well, there's no way up that hole, so... I have no choice but to move ahead."

"Do you want out? I can... Dio, I can't believe I'm saying this." A sigh was heard from the other end of the receiver. "I can get the potato bastard to find you. Knowing him, he'll probably remember where you were before he lost you."

"Ve.." The northern nation sweatdropped. "He told you about that, huh.."

"That bastard came to me and explained everything. When I was picking my tomatoes, no less." Romano clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I can get a rope down for you."

"..No, it's okay, fratello."

"What? Why?"

"Well.." Italy considered his answer. "To be honest, I don't know. I feel like... I should do this alone. But don't worry, fratello! I'll make sure to come back as soon as possible, si?"

"...Si." The southern nation sighed. "Make sure to call me every once in a while, understand? Otherwise I'm bringing everyone down there to find you."

"I understand, Romano." He glanced down the doorway, a tinge of worry appearing in his gut. Toriel should be back by now. "I'm hanging up, fratello. Tell the others not to worry, okay?"

"Whatever."

"Bye!" He hung up the call, sighing happily. It was good to hear his brother's voice again. Staring down into the next room, he could not help but wonder where the creature was. "Ve.. Should I go there?"

 _"Yep."_

...

Romano glared down at the phone in his hand, silently cursing. He wished their conversation was longer. He briefly wondered if he should follow his brother's wish.

"Like hell I will." He growled, typing down a number. "I'm not leaving him alone like that again."

Because, unlike his brother, he remembered everything.

* * *

 **Ohh.. Just what did he mean by that?**

 **Romano is in the story! Yay~!**

 **The conversation weren't supposed to be that long actually. It just happened. But, it gives us an insight at what's going on by the countries perspective. Again, what colour do you think their SOULS are? Because i might be adding them soon. ;)**

 **Though... it'll be a long while before you'll see them again.**

 **BTW, have you seen that new cami-cat cover on Hopes and Dreams? It was so beautiful, I tell you. My heart soared everrytime I see it.**

 **Hmm.. I should make a correction. I will update when I can, which is normally on the weekends, hence why you're seeing it now, I suppose. And also, I made a few correction on the previous chapter. Nothing much is changed, though, but you're still welcome to reread it if you'd like.**

 **..And yes, I'm a sucker for reviews. That is also the reason why you're seeing this. I'm so happy at the attention this story is having. Thank you so much for this!**

 **Update 4/4: Fixed the grammars, also the note that someone kindly left. Yeah. Thanks for that btw. Perhaps I should revise my chapters before posting them...**


	4. Exploring The Ruins Part I

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter III:_

 _Exploring The Ruins Part I_

* * *

It was not even a few steps into the next room when a loud ringing echoed in the Ruins. Jumping startled, the Italian took out the Cell Phone, clicking on the 'answer' button.

"Ciao?"

"Ah, Italy. This is Toriel. You have not left the room, have you?" A familiar soothing voice spoke up from the other end of the receiver. He chuckled nervously when he realised he had disobeyed the request. "There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to solve them by yourself."

 _"Not if you have me... But of course, I can't really help you, since I could only watch from afar.. Of a sorts, anyway."_

"Be good, alright?"

 _Click..._

"Ve.. She hung up." Italy kept the phone in his pants pocket before moving forward, shivering ever so slightly in his cotton shirt. "Bella? Are you there?"

 _"Would you quit calling me that? My name is not 'Bella'. God, what does that even mean?"_

"Sorry.. I just want to have a conversation. 'Bella' means beautiful in my language." The nation whimpered, but perked up after a moment. "What is your name?"

 _"If I say my name, will you stop calling me that?"_ He nodded, smiling. _"..Chara. My name is Chara."_

"That's a pretty name, Chara."

 _"...Quiet, you."_

"Ve~ Alright!" A moment of silence was ensured as a curious question made itself known. "Are you a bambina?"

 _"What's a 'bambina'?"_

"A little girl, of course! I can tell that you're a child from your voice but.."

 _"Ah, that's what you're asking."_ Chara sighed. Beside the nation, a strange, ghostly form began to materialised. The person wore a lime green and peach sweater, with dark shorts and a pair of old fashioned boots. Dark brown hair cut in a choppy hairstyle, the front bangs covering a similar shade of brown eyes. The spirit looked up at him, gazing expectedly. _"Well? What do you think?"_

"...I'm sorry but.. Are you a girl or a boy?"

 _"What the hell do you mean by that?"_ Chara exploded as her already rosy cheeks turned a bright red, causing ringing to echo painfully in his mind. _"Can't you see me clearly? I'm a girl, damnit! Learn to look properly, will you?"_

"Ve, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Perhaps intentionally angering a dead spirit was a not good movein his book. The auburn haired Italian chuckled as he gently massaged his forehead, before finding himself engaging in battle. A strange monster approached meekly, a sorrowful expression on its face. It was a fragile looking winged creature, a pair of antenna drooping on its head. The spirit faded, feeling miffed as she did.

 _"Ah, a Whimsun. One of the most cowardly creatures I've ever met."_

"That's not nice..." Mumbling softly before speaking out, he gave a bright smile. "Caio! My name's Ita-"

"I'm sorry!" Whimsun squeaked and flew away, abruptly ending the battle just as it began.

"-ly.. Ve, she's a shy one, isn't she?" He noticed a doorway behind him. Curiously, he peeked into the room. A pedestal stood in the middle of the room, along with two smaller rectangular ponds on each sides of the room and a curtain of ivy against the back wall. On top of the pedestal was a bowl of candies. Attached on the bowl was a note that said, 'Take one.'

"Don't mind if I do!" Delighted, Italy took a candy, eating it as he was starting to feel hungry. It tasted of sweet licorice. As he entered back into the hallway, the Froggit that had been standing at the side, watching, spoke up.

"Ribbit, ribbit. (Excuse me, human.)" Even though it was speaking in its own language, somehow, Italy could undertand its words. "(I have some advice for you about battling monsters. If you ACT a certain way or FIGHT until you defeat them... They might not want to battle you anymore. If a monster does not want to fight you, please... use some MERCY, human.) Ribbit, ribbit."

The nation looked thoughtful, but smiled and nodded. The froglike creature seemed satisfied as it watched him walked away. As he was strolling down the room, honey-brown eyes caught sight of a gleaming object in the red leaves. Approaching it, he was surprised when he saw two black boxes appearing, floating in midair.

 ***Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination.**

 ***Progress saved.**

 ***Continue *Reset**

"Chara, what's this?" Confusion in his eyes, he decided to ask the spirit.

 _"That's your SAVE FILE."_ Chara hummed as she casually replied. _"If you ever want to RELOAD your past SAVE POINT, just press the 'Continue' button. As for RESET, well... It's an ability to start over. Because your SOUL possessed a certain quality, you are able to SAVE easier than the other humans that fell. It would certainly make your journey through the Underground simpler compared to what others had to go through."_

"That's.."

 _"Interesting, is it not?"_ She giggled. _"Hehe.. You did SAVE earlier too, don't you remember?"_

He thought back to the last time this had happened.. and remembered.

 _ ***The thought of the well being of your friends and family.. It fills you with determination.**_

 _ ***Progress saved.**_

There were no black boxes that appeared when he saved though, just a pleasant 'Ping!' that echoed in his mind. _This is so strange..._ He mused. _But what about.._

"What about the other humans? Did they have the same ability?"

 _"Unfortunately, no. It is because they did not have enough determination, unlike you. That's why they didn't last long here. Your SOUL is red, the colour of DETERMINATION."_ Chara appeared next to him as the boxes disappeared. _"I see you've taken a great interest in this subject. Is there anything that feels rather.. odd to you?"_

"This whole Underground is odd to me, Chara. I should be scared, calling out for help. And yet.. I feel calm... because this feels familiar to me." Italy glanced at the ceiling, absentmindedly noticing how it was not covered in bricks like the rest of the room. "I feel like I've been here before, or maybe end up in the same situation. I don't know... How did you get here, Chara?"

 _"Well.."_ She fiddled with her hair, thinking back. _"Like the others, I fell, but I was the first one to fall into the Underground. To be honest though, when I climbed up the mountain that day, it wasn't for a good reason. I wanted to fall, in a sense. Not that you would understand, anyway..."_

 _"Then, I passed away."_ The auburn haired nation looked at her, gently grasping her hand. Her eyes widened at the sudden gesture, but did not let go as she continued. _"I remembered how I wanted to see the sun shining upon me, feel the wind brushing my back and.. the golden flowers that my village grew. Ironic, is it not? How odd one's final thoughts can be. And now.. For some reason.. I find myself alive again... Through you."_

The Italian seemed surprised at her statement, but did not make any attempt to interrupt. Chara sighed as she sat down, prompting him to sit beside her. _"I do not know why am I alive. I don't remember. All I remember for a long time was being in this.. void. I could see the other humans, watch their actions, but I couldn't do anything. Not that I wanted to anyway. But, suddenly, I find myself watching again but I wasn't in the void this time. I was watching through you."_

"How.. is that possible..?"

 _"I don't know. I can't help but feel like I'm missing something though.."_ She sighed again, seemingly frustrated with her lack of memory before standing up. _"Come. I believe we have spent enough time in this room."_

...

Upon turning at a joint to the next room, they were encountered by another Froggit. Italy spared it, while remembering his first battle the monster. The froglike creature had ran away as he was complementing it after seeing a certain caretaker's severe glare. The room had cracks on the floor and he could easily jump over if he wanted to, at which he did. Smiling at his victory, he proceeded to the next room.

Unlike what Toriel had said, the puzzles were rather simple compared to what he anticipated. Room after room, he had solved the puzzles easily, even without the help of Chara, who had said that it was more fun watching him scramble around to complete the puzzles. There was that one room where the puzzle involved moving, wait, _asking a_ sentient rock to move to the stone plate.

Now...

"Zzzzzzzzzzz..."

Here he was, staring down at the source of the sound. On the small pile of red leaves was a ghost, their appearance looking like the typical cartoon ghost. They kept saying z's loudly over and over again, pretending to be asleep. How he came to know this?

"are they gone yet?" In the midst of them saying z's, the ghost whispered softly before resuming their z's, as if talking to themselves.

"Ve.. I guess ghosts are real too, huh.. but then, you're technically a ghost too, right, Chara?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck as he wondered how to walk past the supernatural. He faintly heard a huff of annoyance coming from the supposed dead spirit, but he focused on what was happening. From what he could clearly see, they were blocking the path, and he need to advance. "I'm so sorry, but I need to keep going."

The ghost instantly took flight when he attempted to lift the ghost, the room turning dark as a battle was engaged. They stared down at him with an awfully depressing expression on their white face, and the nation's heart, not soul mind _you_ , tugged at the sight of it.

 _*Over the fourth wall, Ghost Battle could be heard playing in the background.*_

"Ve.. What's wrong?" Italy asked, tilting his head to the side as concern lingered in his eyes. "You look sad.."

"nothing's wrong." Despite what they said, tears began to flow out from their eyes to the Italian, who hissed and dodged when he found out that the tears were acidic. What could cheer them up, he wondered before smiling.

"Wanna hear a joke? What did the sea say to the sand?" The ghost stopped their crying, observing sadly as he continued, giggling. "Nothing, of course. It simply waved."

"heh, heh." He gave a smile of triumph when he heard the ghost chuckled, no matter how small it was. The supernatural sighed and looked away, looking depressed once again. "not feelin' up to it right now... sorry."

"No, it's okay." Italy smiled patiently as he waited for their next move. "Take your time. I don't want to rush you."

The ghost seemed to be thinking before looking hesitantly at him.

"..wanna see something?" They took the fact that he beamed and nodded as a yes, so they took a deep breath. _Could ghosts breathe?_ Italy thought curiously. "let me try.."

Tears came out of their eyes again, but this time, the acidic liquid floated upwards. The nation watched, amazed as they completely formed top hat on their head. The ghost looked unsure if they did the right thing or not, but it was too late.

"i call it 'dapper blook'.." They announced, with that same expression on their face. "do you like it?"

"Wow, that was amazing." He grinned. "It suits you, you know!"

"oh gee..." They finally smiled, feeling thankful but not noticing a thin layer of blush covered their cheeks. The room brightened to its original colour, and Italy took an internal sigh of relief. Those tears, as odd as that sounds, were hard to dodge.

"My name is Italy!" The auburn haired Italian introduced himself gleefully. "What's yours?"

"Napstablook." They shyly murmured. "i usually come to the Ruins because there's nobody around... but today i meet someone nice.. oh, i'm rambling again. i'll get out of your way..."

Quite abruptly, they ended the conversation and vanished. Italy watched as they disappeared, and smiled. "Ve.. I hope I can see them again. They seem like a nice person."

 _"It's odd, you know?"_

"Hmm?"

 _"I keep watching you spare them."_ Chara mumbled, seemingly in disbelief. _"Why? I don't understand.."_

"What do you mean by that?" The nation crossed the pile of leaves, stopping at an intersection between two doorways. "It's not right to simply kill them, right?"

The word 'kill' seemed to trigger something within the both of them. Italy, for the first time since his encounter with Flowey, felt genuine fear. Shakily ignoring the feeling, he entered a small rectangular room with spider webs with different sizes sticking on the wall. The strings seemed thick enough to be visible, and perhaps, hold a coin or two. The sign in front of the webs said:

'Spider Bake Sale. All proceeds go to real spiders.'

"A.. bake sale?" He took out the coins he picked up after the encounters with monsters earlier, sweatdropping. Once again, he felt amazed at how strange this world was compared to what he was used to. His stomach growled at the thought of food. While he knew that Toriel was cooking something for him, since she had called to ask him about his preference but...

"Ve.. I'm getting a little hungry, though.." He examined the webs closer. Both spider webs were asking for a donation but with different amount. The smaller web asked for seven gold while then other, much bigger in size, asked for eighteen gold. He only had enough for the smaller web, so he gently placed the gold coins on it.

He took a step back, though, surprised as small spiders crawled out of the hole that the strings were attached to, carrying a baked pastry while others took the coins. It clearly looked like a donut, with pink frosting on the top. Smiling, he accepted the food, petting one of the spiders.

"Thank you!" The nation bit into the donut. It was sweet and fluffy texture, with a hint of cider in it. He quickly devoured the small meal, sighing happily as he exited the room. Turning at an alternate route into the next room, noticing immediately more Froggits across the room and another sign in facing the doorway. He regretted reading it, though, as it said;

'Did you miss it? Spiders Bake Sale down and to the right. Come eat food made by spiders, for spiders, _of_ spiders.'

"...I never should've bought that.." Groaning softly as a hand was placed at his mouth, he quickly exited the room, desperately wanting to forget that sign.

* * *

 **Ahh.. Another chapter done.. but I'm not even halfway through the game... sigh. Please forgive me if the story is going a little fast for you. I'm getting impatient and I wanna enter the wacky skeleton bros in if I can, but first.. I have to write Toriel's battle.**

 ***SPARESPARESPARE**

 **Responding to APDubtalia's question; while yes, that could be right but I'm trying to base the nations to the colours that had existed canonly, as each colour represent a quality of a human's SOUL. These are the seven colours, if you didn't know.**

 **Red represent Determination, Yellow represent Justice, Orange represent Bravery, Green represent Kindness, Light Blue represent Patience, Blue represent Integrity and Purple represent Perseverance.**

 **For a while, I actually wondered if I should base off their SOULS with the colours of their flags, like Italy's SOUL will actually have red, white and green in it, but I kinda scrapped that idea off. While that had sounded cool, I admit, at the same time, I'm trying not to... over-doing it? Over-exaggerating? Honestly, I don't really know the words.**

 **Anyone here a fan of Blooky? ;)**


	5. Exploring The Ruins Part II

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter IV:_

 _Exploring The Ruins Part II_

* * *

Chara had gone completely silent after that encounter with Napstablook. At first, he was worried, but he let her be, believing that she just needed a little bit of space. Hearing another ringing as he walked into the next room, the nation answered, already knowing who it was.

"Hello?" Toriel asked, sounding slightly embarrassed. "I just realised that it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon, there's probably a lot of stuff lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday, you may see something you really like. You will want to leave room in your pockets for that purpose."

"Ve, you're having company over? I wonder who it is."

"Why, I meant you, my child." She giggled at his obliviousness. "To be sincere Italy, it has been a long time since I had anyone over really, and I definitely want to make things tidy so that we can enjoy our time together."

"G-grazie, ma- I mean, Toriel!" Flustered, he laughed it away, not wanting to ruin their relationship. "I'm really grateful that you're doing this for me."

"It's fine, little one. I'll see you in a bit."

Hanging up and keeping his phone, Italy let out a soft sigh, a small blush appearing on his cheeks. What was it about Toriel that made him feel so comfortable that he almost called her that? Even with Hungary, whom he considered as the closest motherly figure he knew in his childhood, he had never called her mother. Not even once.

Shaking his head vigorously to perish the thought, he decided to focus on the matter at hand. He just needed to get out from the Underground and things will be back to normal.

The room he had entered had a locked door at the end, with six cracks in different locations. Along the side wall were the staircases. Six cracks, and staircases. What to do here? Humming thoughtfully, he inspected one of the cracks, which was the closest to him, on the floor, gently stepping on it. The floor gave away, crumbling as he expected, revealing a much smaller room. There were crimson coloured leaves, so it was safe to drop.

"I have to choose, huh.." He mused, standing up and glancing around. "I wonder which one should I choose."

His Soul flared to life, signalling a battle. A bipedal buglike creature approached him, along with a familiar jelly monster. Migosp and Moldsmal. The monsters, particularly Migosp he noticed, seemed dedicated in his job, trapping the Italian with cockroach entities flying either side of him as he tried to dodged the slime substance that Moldsmal emitted.

"Cia-" Italy started but was rudely interrupted by the buglike monster.

"I DON'T CARE!" It yelled. The nation huffed, annoyed.

Deciding that the jelly monster was more important, since Migosp was not doing any real damage to him, he worked on sparing it first. He lied on the ground to consider its views on the world, and felt as if he could understand it better. Satisfied, the Moldsmal left, leaving behind several coins.. and the now happy Migosp.

"Mm chaa chaa~." It began dancing as he got up. "Swing your arms, baby!"

"Ve.. you like dancing?" The auburn haired nation asked, chuckling.

"Of course, bein' myself is the best." Migosp began moonwalking out of the room. "Nothin' like some alone time!"

Now alone, he glanced around the room, choosing to go on the middle right crack on the floor. He fell in the a small room. There was nothing but leaves, but he noticed a familiar presence in the room with him.

"Ciao, Napstablook!" He greeted, getting up to sit next to them. "What are you doing?"

"o-oh... hey, Italy." Napstablook murmured, turning to look at him before gazing back at the ceiling. "i fell down a hole, and now i can't get up... go on without me.."

"Ve? But you're a ghost, aren't you?" The nation tilted his head to the side questionably. "Shouldn't you be able to float upwards?"

"that's right... i forgot i can do that.." They started floating upwards, and he stood up. "i see you around, i guess.."

"Bye!" He waved as they vanished. Using the staircase, he entered back into the main room. "So not in that room. Maybe the one across?"

...

As it turned out, he was correct in his guessing. With a flick of a switch, the locked door opened. Delightfully, he entered the next room. There were three pillars in the room, each occupied by a different coloured figurines, one yellow, another blue and last red respectively. The sign on the wall said;

'The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective.'

"I wonder what that means.." Shrugging, he moved along into the next room. The first thing he noticed was another text on the wall, more dolls, as well as spikes preventing him to advance. He read the sign; 'If you can see this, press the blue switch.'

"'A rotation in perspective..' Does that means it's here?" Wandering over to the closest pillar, he glanced behind it to find what he was looking for. "Aha!"

Pressing the switch, the spikes retreated into the floor, granting safe passage. Smiling, he advanced into the next room, only to find the same thing, except that he needed to find the red switch this time. It was simple enough. Yawning softly, he watched as the spikes disappeared before walking over.

"Ve.. I'm so sleepy.. I wonder what time it is right now?" He yawned again, checking the time on his phone. It was already six in the morning. The next room was much more prettier. It was a large hallway with paths diverting to the left and forward. Large piles of leaves scattered about, and green ivy crawled along the ground.

He walked forward first. There was a Froggit sitting nervously there, and a doorway. Entering through the doorway, his heart nearly stopped when he saw what he was looking at. He stood on a balcony and the entire Underground loomed below, with tall buildings rose majestically, some ever reaching the top of the cavern, and monsters walking along the sidewalks, some chatting while others carried groceries. It was a stunning sight, how all the monsters conversed like humans normally do.

 _"Interesting, is it not?"_ Chara finally said, giving out a wave of nostalgia _. "I used to go down there. Always playing with... A close friend of mine."_

He nodded, eye catching a glint of an object. Walking over, he discovered it was a toy knife, plastic and rubbery. But he left it alone, not wanting to take other people property. It probably belonged to someone else.

Going back indoors, the Froggit next to him spoke up.

"Ribbit, ribbit. (Just between you and me.. I saw Toriel came out of that doorway earlier.) Ribbit, ribbit."

"Really?" Italy asked, looking down at it. "What was she doing?"

"Ribbit, ribbit. (She was carrying a bag of groceries in her hands, though I couldn't see what it was.)" The froglike creature looked away guiltily, shivering. "(...We were too intimidated to talk to her...) Ribbit, ribbit."

"I see.. Where did she go?"

The Froggit pointed at the other hallway, one scattered with scarlet leaves. He smiled and thanked it, waving goodbye. Turning down to the other path, he was greeted at the sight of a lifeless, obsidian tree, the same red leaves plied up around it. But, as he watched, a new leaf grew on the tree, before falling off and glided to the ground.

"Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would." A familiar voice rang out. The silhoulette of Toriel approached the tree and pull out her phone. It looked like she was going to make a call to him before noticing said nation. Surprised, she rushed over to him. "Italy! How did you get here?"

"I..." He chuckled nervously, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. The goat creature shook her head.

"No matter. Are you hurt?" She checked for any injuries, but found none. "Not a scratch. Impressive! But still.. I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try and surprise you like this."

"Did you make a surprise for me?" She blushed and nodded, realising her mistake. Italy smiled, and started to tug her as he walked. "Come on! I want to see it!"

"Calm down, innocent one!" She giggled, and lead the way. Before he entered the cozy looking house, a glimmer of an object caught his eyes. A Save Point.

 ***Seeing such a cute, tidy house gives you determination.**

 ***Progress saved.**

...

When Italy entered, the first thing he noticed was the large stairwell to a bottom floor. The walls were a pleasant cream colour with birch wood floor. There was a cabinet beside the stairs, with a gorgeous flower in a vase on top, as well as a bookcase and hanging on the wall beside the bookcase was a small simple lamp.

"Do you smell that? Surprise!" A lovely smell wafted into the room as Toriel beamed. "It is a butterscotch-cinnamon pie. I thought we might celebrate your arrival. I want you to have a nice time living here. So, I will hold off the snail pie for later."

Remembering a certain baked pastry caused him to pale a little, but enough that she did not notice. The creature sighed dreamily.

"Here, I have another surprise for you."

Together they headed down the right hallway. The hallway was a beautiful golden appearence with a carpet on the ground, more cabinets and more potted stopped on the first door, facing him.

"This is it.." She sounded proud of herself as she gave a hearty smile at the nation. "A room of your own. I hope you like it."

"Thank you..." Gazing over to the Italian, she found that he had a frown tugging his lips, seemingly in conflict "I don't know how to repay you.."

"No, you don't need to do such thing." She smiled brightly as she rubbed Italy's head, ruffling his hair with an affection only a mother could give, despite him being taller that other humans and considerably much more older than most monsters in the Underground. "I'm doing this because I want to. Not because I had to, understand?"

He looked at her, eyes wide in astonishment before nodding shyly, blushing. It felt much more sincere than if he had received it from other people. That alone had said plenty about Toriel. As she placed her hand back to her original position, he glanced back at the door to his room, mumbling softly the words he would never thought to say.

"C-can I call you... madre?"

"Hmm? What does that means?"

"It means 'mother' in my language." Toriel seemed surprised, a hint of red appearing on her cheeks. Taking the gesture the wrong way, he immediately took back his words. "I-I mean, you don't have to accept it. It's just a suggestion and-"

"Silly you." Pulling the panicking nation into an embrace, causing him to be still, the goat creature laughed. "Of course you can call me that. I do not mind it. You, who had lived for hundreds of years, would call someone like me 'mother'... It makes me happy enough."

"Grazie.. madre." Italy returned the hug, sniffling a little. "I've never had anyone to call my mother."

It was then a distinct smell entered the hallway.

Toriel broke the hug, glancing down at the hallway. "Um, make yourself at home."

With that, she rushed into the kitchen. The auburn haired Italian sighed as he entered his room, rubbing his arm. He could still feel that hug lingering.

"I haven't been hugged like that since Grandpa Rome was around." He murmured, making a beeline for the bed. Collapsing on it, he fell asleep almost immediately. "Good night."

 _"It's technically morning, but sure. Good night to you too, Italy."_

* * *

 **Aww.. Emotional moment right there. I love it. Makes me feel kinda bad for what's gonna happen. And I'm not just talking about the battle.**

 ***coughs as she smashes the keyboard that was broken from pressing the SPARE button***

 **Huhu... Ah, I feel excited. Makes me wanna play the game again. Can't wait to write that. Also, this story has overcome it's 500 views! Ngaahhhhh! So awesome! Thanks for the support, you guys.**

 **By the way, ya all like the new title? Huzzah for puns! ...but if you don't like it I'll change it back.**

 **...Everyone seems to think that Blooky is cute. Even me...**

 **I mean, how can you NOT like him?**


	6. The War

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter V_

 _The War_

* * *

 _The dark skies were the first thing he noticed when he finally got out. Alone. With the absence of his now-dead friends. It was painful, but he kept running down the courtyard, until he reached a large black gate. Unfortunately for him, though, it was locked. He gripped his journal tighter as an ominous presence made itself known._

 _He turned around._

 _"I won the game, didn't I? I'm the winner! You can't get to me."_

 _Honey brown eyes were wide with an insane glint._

 _"My friends... are dead because of me. If only I hadn't... No... They're dead because of you! You killed them all!"_

 _A small chuckle escalated into a maniacal laugh._

 _"How about I make a deal with you, huh? You like that, right? Let me save my friends.. If I win, you'll let us go and if I lose..."_

 _The book held tightly in his chest began to glow._

 _"Take us back... Take us **back**!"_

...

Italy woke up with a start, breathing heavily. He swung his legs over the bed, trying to get the oxygen into his lungs. Coughing, his mind was reeling at what he just saw in his dream. He tried to get himself to calm down, but he could not.

 _"Italy."_

His breath quickened, and his chest began to feel uncomfortably trapped. Shivering, he clutched the bedsheets tightly. The room was starting to spin, his vision blurring. He could feel himself swaying left and right.

 _"Italy, snap out of it! Take a deep breath, and slowly let it out."_

A familiar voice called out to him. A childlike ghostly form could be seen out of the corner of his eyes, as small hands awkwardly pat his back in an attempt to calm him down. Slowly, but surely, he was able to breathe a little more easier than before. He felt something cold touched his cheeks. Gingerly, he raised a hand there.

They were tears.

 _"That's it. Better now?"_

The nation nodded, feeling numb. The hands on his back retreated, as Chara sat down next to him, legs dangling. A vision flashed through his mind. He saw a lonely statue, being drenched in rain. A small child, accompanied by a similar sized monster, carried an umbrella over their head, standing next to it before placing the umbrella in the statue's hands. Soon after, a song began playing.

The soothing sound of the music box comforted him, as the auburn haired Italian was brought back to the present. The child spirit was humming the same tune, a rare genuine smile on her lips.

 _"I always like that song, you know? Music were scarce from where I came from, so any songs, anything at all.. I'll always find myself memorising them, trying to treasure the beauty of it."_

"What did you show me?" Italy mumbled out, his voice hoarse.

 _"A memory, of course."_ Her smile widened _. "It appears that my tactic worked, but it also confirmed something for me."_

He looked at her, honey-brown orbs questioning. She gazed downwards, fiddling with her sweater. _"However, that is a story for another day. Right now, I'm curious... What was that?"_

"You saw that?"

 _"Indeed."_ She nodded, looking thoughtful. _"A mansion in the woods is what I saw, with you running. But from what? What is it?"_

He could tell that she was getting curious about it, but when he tried to remember it, a pounding headache answered instead. The Italian groaned, massaging his temple.

"I.. I don't... remember.."

 _"Hey, take it easy."_ Chara murmured. _"You'll get there. It takes time to remember things."_

"I need some water.. and it's cold too." The nation stood up, legs wobbling before steadying themselves. It was then he noticed the peculiar scent in the room, making his stomach growled in hunger. There, on the floor, was a plate of butterscotch-cinnamon pie. Immediately, he dashed forward and grabbed the meal, any other thoughts vanished at the sight of it. "Mmm. So good!"

He sat back on the bed, happily munching on the pie using a fork that was on the plate.

...

It was hell.

It was chaotic.

"Yo, dudes! The hero is here to save the day!"

It was a World Meeting.

It was not a full official meeting, however. Just a small meeting, consisting of only a handful of nations.

Romano groaned as he tried to block out the noises. Beside him, Spain, who had been persistent on coming along, was now sleeping the day away happily. Across of him, as per usual, England and France were engaged in a verbal fight, throwing insults at each other. Near the American nation, China hid behind him, trying to run from Russia, which, as one could clearly predicted, was not going well.

Poor guy. The dark haired Italian could only imagine what the Chinese had done to attract the taller nation.

Somewhere, over in the corner of the room, he thought he could see a silhouette of someone. But who? There was only a polar bear there. Prussia, Dio only knew how he got in as he was not invited, was sitting beside the sleeping nation, scribbling the Spaniard's face with a black sharpie while cackling to himself. Japan, on the other hand, was wisely staying out of the mess as he simply observed, discreetly reading something from under the table.

Lastly, reluctantly sitting to the left of him was...

"That is enough!" Germany, having enough of the charades, slammed his hands on the table, effectively silencing the nations. "We are having an emergency meeting and I would like all of you to be quiet."

He looked at the now-sitting down nations and glanced at the Romano, who shifted uncomfortably before taking a deep breath.

"Took you all long enough. There's a reason I called all of you bastards here." He began, standing up. "You know how... Italy went missing a few days ago, right?"

Uncertainly, the nations present nodded, some giving a discreet look at the German, who ignored it.

"Earlier this morning... He called me."

...

"Ah, I see that you're awake." Toriel smiled warmly as she sat on an old recliner with a book in her hands, red reading glasses on. She noticed the empty plate in his hands. "How was the pie?"

"Ve~! It was very delicious!" Italy chirped, walking over to her and gave her a fond hug. "I can't explain how good it was."

 _"M-Toriel's pies are always the best."_

"Oh my.. Quite the hugger, are you not?" The goat creature blushed, but chuckled as he released her from the hug. She pointed to the dining table. "Please, leave the plate on the table."

"Si!" As he did so, she continued, an hint of gratefulness in her tone.

"Um, I want you to know how glad I am to have someone here. There are so many old books I want to share, and I want to show you my favourite bug-hunting spot." She hummed, leaning back on her chair. "I would've prepared a curriculum for you but.. I think you're well-educated yourself. You won't need my help for that. This may come to you as a surprise but.."

"You want to be a teacher?" The auburn haired Italian asked, tilting his head to the side curiously.

"Indeed. Perhaps, even open a school of my own. Actually, that isn't surprising at all, is it?" She trailed off dreamily, but her expression changed into an angry glare the next instant, as if remembering something unpleasant, but returned back to her kind features after the word was spoken. "STILL. I am glad to have you living here."

He briefly wondered what could possibly made her angry like that, when the words sank in.

...

"Wait," England asked, eyebrows furrowing in thought. "What do you mean by that?"

"You heard me." The Italian nation scowled and began retelling the story that his brother had told him. The nations' looks were ranging from disbelief to knowing and a few understanding. After he finished, he simply glared at them, daring them to say the wrong thing.

"This is certainly an interesting tale." France took the bait, chuckling. "But how can we be sure that this is real, that your brother is not in the best of state? That he isn't mortally wounded?"

"Are you fucking saying that my brother is crazy?" He snapped, keeping in his mind that they did not remember those things. "We're nations, damnit! We don't die that easily."

The flamboyant dressed blond nation frowned.

"Non, I would believe in you." He paused, casting a sly look at the nation sitting beside him. "Just as much as I believe in Angleterre's fairy tales."

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?!"

"Do you want me to send the Mafia after you?"

A couple of very different responses were given, one highly indignant and the other deathly calm. The two nations seemed ready to attack the European nation, had not for the fact that a certain American interrupted them.

"What he's saying is right."

...

"I am glad to have you living here."

He stilled at the words. Was she implying that she had wanted him to stay? Italy knew he saw her as a motherly figure but he had others too, living on the surface. Did she want him to leave them behind? Not knowing what to say, he decided to take a look at the bookshelf to distract himself. Taking out a book and opening it to a random page, it read;

 _'Trapped behind the barrier and fearful of further human attacks, we retreated. Far, far into the earth we walked, until we reached the cavern's end. This was our new home, which we named..._

 _"Home"_

 _As great as our king is, he is pretty lousy at names.'_

"Madre, what is this?" The creature looked up at her reading, glancing at the title of the book and froze.

"What do you mean by that?" Confused, Toriel frowned in thought. "Have you never heard of the stories?"

"What stories? Did something happened to monsters?" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I mean, maybe America would know something about this, seeing as I was supposed to go to that World Meeting at his place."

 _"Did you seriously not know of the legends? My god, what are they teaching in school these days?"_ Chara asked, mystified just as the other murmured. _"Oh, wait."_

"History must have faded more than I thought. I would not be surprised if us monsters were dismissed as myths." She shook her head, and looked at the fireplace. "Why don't you sit down? I will explain everything."

...

Germany frowned. "Explain, America."

"This isn't something I like to tell everyone, because of.. well, what it is. But, considering that's where Italy is, I don't really have a choice but to tell you." Said nation looked away, and began explaining. "A couple hundred years ago, way back when to before I had my civil war, there was another war that took place. Humans against monsters, at that mountain that was now called Mt. Ebott."

...

"The war was monsters against humans. A horrible massacre. We do not know why they attacked us out of the blue, we were co-existing so peacefully. I, myself, was confused as to why they were willing to kill so many of our kind mercilessly."

Toriel closed her eyes, and took a shuddering breath. Concerned, the Italian placed a gentle hand on her lap from his position on the floor, sitting close to the warm fire. The creature smiled at the affection, before continuing.

...

"The reason why that war happened was because that we, me and my states, were afraid."

"You, afraid?" England snorted, sipping into his cup of tea. "Bloody hell. Do tell me that it's the end of the world, will you?"

"It is very unlike Amerika to be afraid, da?" Russia hummed. "Perhaps I should converse with these monsters."

"We were afraid because.." He continued nevertheless, ignoring the British and Russian nation. "We found out that monsters can absorb human souls."

...

"Just before we were banished underground, I researched thoroughly. Until I finally discovered the cause of the war. Certain powerful monsters have the ability to absorb a human's SOUL, transforming them into a terrifying beast capable of destroying the world... But the thing is..."

Italy's eyes widened as tears began to flow from her cheeks.

"We do not want that power. All we want is to exist among the humans peacefully."

...

"So, we attacked. Without mercy." America closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Then, the last of my magicians sacrificed themselves to create a barrier, trapping the monsters underneath the mountain. That's the gist of it, mostly."

"I see.." Germany leaned back, eyes narrowing in thought. "Is there any way to enter the mountain?"

"Yup." He nodded as he remembered. "There's this cave at the top of the mountain, one that has this huge chasm. That's the only way in, so I'm pretty sure Italy fell there. But thing is.. I don't really remember where the mountain is... Its been a while since I visit there.."

"Oh?" France's interest was quipped. "And when was the last time you visited Mt. Ebott?"

"Give or take about a hundred years.." The American shrugged. "There's so many mountains in my place, I can't really keep track on all of them."

"Doesn't matter. I know where I last saw Italy." Germany stood up. "Anyone who wishes to back out from this can do so now."

Nobody moved.

"Then I will text you the location. Everyone will be given one day to prepare; food, supplies. Understood?"

They nodded. Before the meeting was adjourned, however, America spoke up, looking disturbed as if he was seeing an unpleasant memory.

"Make sure to bring your weapons too. These monsters..." He looked away. "They're dangerous."

...

 _"So, what will you do now?"_

"I'm... going to free them." Confused, Toriel looked up, seeing the Italian's soft smile. "You have been suffering because of humans. Even us nations don't have full authority because of our bosses... Madre, I know that this will be hard for you but.."

He took her hand, squeezing it gently as a hint of determination appeared in his honey-brown orbs.

"Can I leave the Ruins, please?"

* * *

 **oh... are you sure i can do this? i'm not sure if i should..**

 ***Mumbles could be heard from the background***

 **okay then.. Winters said that she's giving a free update because she's sick... and that you won't be seeing her on the weekends as usual..**

 ***More mumbles could be heard, something among the lines of "Why did you straight up tell them?"***

 **i'm sorry.. i didn't mean to..**

 ***Shuffles***

 **No, it's okay. Thanks for the help, Blooky. Anyway, ya heard what he said. I've been getting sick as of late, and couldn't really focus on my studies.. Hell, I've been taking a couple days off from school because of it.**

 **you should rest, you know...**

 **Yeah, I know. See ya!**


	7. Toriel's Battle

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter VI:_

 _Toriel's Battle_

* * *

"I have to do something..." Rather abruptly, the goat creature stood up, making the nation release his grip in surprise. She started to move away, going out of the room. "Stay here."

"W-wait.. Madre..." He watched her as she walked out of the living room, disappearing into the corner. "Did I say something bad?"

 _"Depends on your perspective."_ The child ghost gave off an impression of a shrug in their shared mind. _"I'd suggest you SAVE first. There's no telling what will happen now."_

Nodding, he exited the warmth of the house to outside for his Save Point. With a loud 'ping' and the black boxes vanishing, Italy glanced back at the old, withered tree for a moment before a loud ringing echoed throughout the yard. The large blocky phone was taken swiftly out of his pocket as he answered it, not really looking at the number on the screen.

"Caio! This is Italy!" He frowned when all he received were loud statics. "Hello? Can you hear me?"

"It!* ly£÷*st_×\ put..." Through the interference, he could faintly hear a voice speaking out from the oher end of the receiver. "We^!_ com}~ng&"

"Ah!" He was forced to hung up when a particularly loud shrieking almost burst his eardrums. With his ears still ringing, the nation stared down at the object in his hand, the other covering his ear. "I wonder who it was.. "

Shrugging it off and keeping his phone, he was about to enter the cozy house when something stopped him. A strange force keeping him still. The ghost appeared in front of him, face hung low as a shadow covered her eyes. The auburn haired Italian felt unease at seeing the sudden change in his friend.

 _"Italy."_ Chara said suddenly, an undistinguishable tone in her voice. _"I have to say something..."_

"Hmm? What is it?"

A low chuckle could be heard before a response was given.

 _"I grew tired of this ceaseless shenanigans.."_

She finally looked up at him, red eyes glinting with malice.

...

She heard the soft footsteps approaching behind her as she paused, not even turning to face him with the usual warmth. Just like the others, she mused forlornly, so persistent on leaving. Yet... Why did he want to leave so soon?

Was she that much failure of a mother?

"You wish to know how free the monsters, do you not? While it is a noble cause, certainly.." Toriel trailed off, as if thinking. "Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the Underground."

She took a deep breath, hoping that this would scare him to go back to their home upstairs.

"I am going to destroy it. No one will be able to leave again.. Please, go upstairs." Still, he followed as they went deeper into the basement, not wanting to leave the room at all. The creature frowned, her demeanour hardening and becoming more cold. She could not afford to lose him. Not like the rest...

"Every human that falls down here meets the same fate.I have seen it happen again and again. They come, they leave, they die... Nations are no different. You saw how much it affected you when that creature attacked you. If you leave this place, they... Asgore... will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?"

The footsteps continued along, trailing behind her. As they turned the corner of the room, a large door loomed at the end of the hallway.

"Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning." Finally the reached the end of the room. A large door stood there, with the same symbols carved on the wall above. "There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself..."

Toriel turned towards him, the room darkening as a battle was initiated. A shadow seemed to cover his face. Perhaps he did not want to fight..?

That was good then. He would go upstairs as she destroy the cursed existence of a door.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

He would go upstairs. He _must_.

And yet...

 _Shing!_

 _Shing!_

"W-What?" She was ready for some resistance she knew was coming. That child of Bravery did, before she finally let him go but.. Toriel coughed, staggering to her knees. Pure shock could be reflected in the nation's eyes, if they were open. Instead, an eerie smile curled on his lips, as if he was satisfied with his job. "Without hesitation and mercy.. My child... Do you hate me so much?"

The nation did not reply and just stood there in silence, a plastic, yet sharp toy knife in his hand. The creature could feel herself crumbling into grey dust when he finally opened them.

Red irises stared gleefully at her.

...

It happened in a split second. One moment he was fine and suddenly... He was unable to move his limbs. The ghost had done somehing to him, somehow paralysing his body. Feeling his panic rising, Italy cried out.

 _"Chara? Chara, what did you do?!"_

His own voice echoed around and with a horrifying realisation, he knew what happened. He was trapped, trapped within his own mind. She had somehow yanked him out of control over his body. The ghost in question, on the other hand, was testing as she moved around, trying to get comfortable in the body she inhabited.

"Ah, this is great. It feels so nice to be back in control!" She giggled. The voice that came out externally sounded different, much more high pitched. "Don't you worry, Italy, I intend to make things right again."

 _"By doing what?!"_ He struggled to gain control, but at the moment, she was too powerful. _"Chara, what are you planning?"_

In reply, an object was taken out of the pockets. Shiny, sharp and plastic.

"To finish what you started long ago." Chara swung the knife in air, grinning. A wave of pure horror radiated from him. "To be honest, what had transpired that day was, admittedly, unsatisfying. And your actions greatly upsets me, even now."

 _"W-Where did you get that knife? Wasn't that-"_

"Indeed it was. Actually, I took over while you were having that nightmare of yours to acquire this." She chuckled, her mind reminiscing back to a certain day. She sent glimpses of that memory to him. "You were clever, I admit. Erasing everyone's memories, even mine's. But it didn't matter, because those memories will come back anyway."

 _"...What? I don't understand..."_ Images of a room bathed in golden light entered his mind, resulting in an enormous headache. Italy groaned in pain when he felt it. That room looked familiar, though, and he did not know why. He gripped at his head mentally. _"My.. head hurts... Make it stop..."_

"I would go back and kill those monsters but.. I have eyes on a bigger prize." Ignoring the nation, she turned her gaze at the tree, looking past it. "Such a pity, all those EXP would've been worth it. Honestly, though, LV 70 is a little high for someone like you but it will be worth it. Makes me wonder how you came to have all those LOVE."

 _"'Bigger prize'? What.."_ He murmured, trying to suppress the pain. He gasped, realising what the words meant. _"You don't mean-"_

"So just sit and enjoy the ride, understand?" Chara cut him off, smiling widely. She could feel the other struggling to gain control, but merely smirked and started walking back into the house, practically singing. "Everyone will have a good time."

 _"What are you talking about? Are you really going to kill her? Chara, let me back!"_

However, to no avail, nothing changed the fact that he was stuck. Italy could do nothing as she entered the basement, approaching Toriel. The goat creature sighed and spoke, walking deeper into the room.

The nation trapped continued to struggle, the thoughts of watching her die becoming too unbearable. He even tried to scream, but no one, except for the inhabited ghost, could hear. Chara kept silent, mindlessly listening to the dialogue, though a flicker of annoyance appeared everytime he shouted.

It was not until they reached the end of the room when she acted.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

She smirked, immediately dashing forward with her dominant hand raised in a slash.

 _Shing!_

 _Shing!_

 _"NO!"_

"W-What?" Toriel coughed out, hand going to her wounds as she collapsed to one knee. Shock and a hint of betrayal could be seen in those ruby eyes. "Without hesitation and mercy.. My child... Do you hate me so much?"

 _"M-Madre..."_ The struggling ceased as soft weeping could be heard from the nation. They watched the grey dust, essence of monsters, piled on the floor. _"Why.. Why did you kill..?"_

"Getting sentimental, are we?" She laughed, glancing behind her, away from the door. "Nothing like killing can make me feel this satisfied. I guess I should go back to kill those others monsters, yes?"

He did not want this. He never should had let her take control.

Two black boxes appeared in midair. Chara frowned, willing the boxes to disappear.

Nothing happened.

"What the hell are you doing?"

A hand was raised to the 'Continue' button. She continued to fight him, trying to regain control.

 _"I'm LOADING..."_

...

Italy glanced back at the old, withered tree for a moment before a loud ringing echoed throughout the area. But he did not answered the call. Instead, he blinked confusedly before the memories came rushing back.

Chara taking over, glimpses of that room and...

"Did I just.."

 _"Congratulations, you idiot."_ Chara remarked sarcastically, materialising in front of him. She tucked her hands into her pockets, smirking. _"You finally learned how to LOAD. Amazing how the system works, is it not?"_

"Why the hell did you do that?!" He screamed at her, the anguish he felt turning into anger. "How can you- How can you... With my own hands..."

The auburn haired Italian collapsed on the cave floor, looking at his trembling hands and ignoring his phone, too caught up in his thoughts. After a while, the loud ringing ceased as the child glanced down at him, an uncaring expression on her face. Just as she was about to disappear, tired of the crying, he spoke.

"...About what you said earlier.." Italy sniffed, wiping his face. "Is.. Is it true?"

"Heh, who knows? I'd rather watch you figure it out yourself." She shrugged carelessly, though her smile said otherwise. "However, let me put you in on a little advice. It's better to kill than making friends whom you will never see again. At least, it will spare you the pain you're experiencing now, and in the future. I won't take over your body this time around. I've had enough of fun to last a while... For now that is.."

With those words spoken, she disappeared, giggling. He sighed, glancing upwards. The nation almost wished he was looking at the bright blue sky or the dark sky littering with shining white stars. Getting up from his position, he entered the house and went straight into the basement, where Toriel was waiting.

"You wish to know how free the monsters, do you not? While it is a noble cause, certainly.." The goat creature trailed off, as if thinking. "Ahead of us lies the end of the Ruins. A one-way exit to the rest of the Underground."

They went further into the basement, away from the warmth of the house upstairs. She took a deep breath, hoping that this will scare him back to go upstairs.

"I am going to destroy it. No one will be able to leave again.. Please, go upstairs." Still, Italy followed behind, albeit a little hesitant. He could not see her frown, but the changing demeanour was very noticeable. "Every human that falls down here meets the same fate.I have seen it happen again and again. They come, they leave, they die... Nations are no different. You saw how much it affected you when that creature attacked you. If you leave this place, they... Asgore... will kill you. I am only protecting you, do you understand?"

The nation paused and closed his eyes, visions of the murder still lingering at the back of his mind. Toriel too paused, taking a short glance behind her. He seemed conflicted to her, looking as if he did not know what to do. Ultimately, he walked and they turned the corner of the room.

"Do not try to stop me. This is your final warning." Finally the reached the end of the room. A large door loomed behind Toriel, with the same symbols carved in the wall above. "There is only one solution to this. Prove yourself..."

The creature turned towards him, the room darkening as a battle was initiated. His Soul flared to life, the red pulsing brightly.

"Prove to me you are strong enough to survive."

 _*Beyond the fourth wall, Heartache could be heard playing in the background.*_

At first he stood there, not knowing what to do. When red flames ignited on her hands and began moving towards him, though, he decided to move. The inferno grazed his skin as the basement became hotter, simultaneously burning parts of his clothes as well.

"Toriel! Please listen to me!" Italy cried out, dodging another wave of flames. "I don't want to hurt you!"

 _"Ironically, talking doesn't seem to be the solution for this case. She's not listening."_ Chara, who decided to watch the battle in spirit form from afar, piped up. _"There's only two routes in this fight Italy, and I know you've already chosen your path."_

"All I want now is to free the monsters!" Remembering why he had wanted to leave the Ruins, he tried reasoning with her, screaming in pain as the fiery blaze burned his arms when he raised them to protect himself. "Please understand!"

Faintly, the spirit, creature and nation could hear the constant ringing on the phone, but they ignored it. There was more important things to do than to answer a phone call. Italy winced and looked down at his hands. They were scarred with burn wounds, but it was better than to be covered in dust. The unspoken question lingered in his head.

 _Do I really have to fight?_

"What are you doing?" At the same moment, Toriel gazed at him for the first time since the battle started, an unreadable expression on her features. "Attack or run away!"

"No." Tightening his hands into fists, the auburn haired Italian stopped moving. He could feel the heat of the inferno as it continued to burn him, his Soul cracking and becoming dimmer until he was on the verge of collapsing. "I won't fight you. I've spared everyone I met in the Ruins, and you're no exception."

"Stop it..." Toriel faltered, looking away. "Stop looking at me like that..."

Miraculously, the red flames steered away from the Italian, just barely grazing him until it stopped hitting altogether. She lowered her arms, smiling sadly as the magic dispersed.

"Look, I know you want to leave now... But please.." The creature started, a guilty expression on her face. "Go upstairs. I.. I promise I will take good care of you. I know we do not have much but.. We can have a good life here."

"I know.." With the weakening heart still visible, Italy stumbled forward and engulfed her in a hug, squeezing tightly. "I know, madre. I don't doubt that at all. But, at the same time.. I have friends too, living on the surface. A brother waiting for me to come home. And I want you to meet them. Toriel.."

He squeezed harder.

"Please let me go."

"Ha ha.. Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child." She chuckled bitterly, leaning into the hug. "I understand, Italy. Living here will just be unsuitable for you. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. My expectation, my loneliness.. my fear. For you, my child, I will set them aside."

The creature released the hug. Italy looked at her uncertainly as she wiped her ruby eyes.

"If you truly wish to leave the Ruins, I will not stop you. However, when you leave, please... do not come back.." She took out something underneath her robes and passed it to him, pressing into his palm. "The next area is much colder than here. I am afraid that you would freeze yourself to death. And I have one last thing to ask of you."

Pulling the nation into a warm hug, she murmured in his ears.

"Do try not to reveal your nature to other monsters, for there is not telling what will happen. I hope you understand, my child."

"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." He said back, smiling brightly. "You'll see me again."

The hug was broken and she left without saying anything else. Italy stared at the massive door and glanced down at the gift in his hands, not noticing the creature looking back at him for a moment before heading off.

...

 _"So.. there's that."_ The ghost materialised next to him, looking at the gift. _"Nice colour scheme, by the way."_

It was a blue sweater, with a few purple stripes towards the middle. The nation felt as if he wanted to question how Toriel managed to finish it so fast, as he recalled looking into the closet inside his room consisting of the same clothing but with different colour.

"I wonder how long I was asleep.." Shrugging it off, he wore it, wincing when the fabric made contact with his skin. The sweater fitted him nicely, and he leaned into the warmth. The basement was beginning to feel cold again. "Ve.. I feel warmer already. I guess there's no choice but to move forward now, right?"

Opening the doors into the rest of the Underground, he was greeted by a really long hallway. As Italy continued forward, the hallway became dark, the lights from the basement fading into a distance. He entered a doorway, where he once again encountered a familiar sight.

"Clever.. Very clever..." Flowey sneered up at him. "You think you're really smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed."

"So, you were able to play by your own rules." Its face morphed into a menacing expression. The nation took a step back, ready to bolt in case if bullets came flying at him again, very much like their first meeting. "You were able to spare the life of a single person. Hee hee hee... But don't get cocky. I know what you did."

The flower's face morphed again, becoming someone he knew. Italy's froze, his hands trembling.

"You murdered her. And then you went back because you regretted it." It changed its expression again, grinning up at him. "You naive idiot. Do you think you're the only what with that power. The power to reshape the world... Purely by your own determination. The ability to play God! The ability to 'SAVE'."

 _"Huh... Curious how a flower knows all this."_

"I thought I was the only one with that power, but.. I can't SAVE anymore. Apparently YOUR desires for this world override MINE. Well, well... enjoy that power while you can. I'll be watching." Before it left, its head expanded like a balloon, cackling. The two watched, one mildly terrified while the other interested, as it retreated into the ground.

 _"How does a monster have the ability to SAVE?"_ Chara pondered, humming. _"If a monster has too much determination, they will end up melting. So how..."_

"Melting? What do you mean by that?" The auburn haired Italian walked over green patch of grass. She did not seem to hear, though, muttering unexplainable things to herself. Beyond the room was another door, shut tightly. As he pushed it opened, a gust of wind blew to his face, casing him to involuntarily shiver.

Opening wider, he took one last look behind him, taking a deep breath before continuing on.

...

"Ah.. it's so cold here." Even with the sweater on, providing a decent amount of warmth, Italy still shivered. He sneezed, hugging his arms for heat but releasing it immediately he came in contact with his burn wounds, which were healing slowly for a nation. "I shouldn't have done that.. Ow.. I hope I can find a place to rest."

Trudging in the snow, he glanced around his surrounding. Tall and thin trees lined on either side, making him wonder how trees can grow underground. Pausing when he came across a particularly thick branch, he step aside, not finding a need for the object. The nation continued walking, humming a soft tune. He liked the peace and tranquility, it calmed him down.

That was, until he heard a snapping sound behind him.

Startled, he glanced behind him, but there was nothing in sight. Nothing but a broken branch. A sense of unease rose inside of him, and Italy started walking faster and faster. Out in the distance, there was a bridge, with high wooden pillars on the ground. He was about to cross, when a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Human... don't you know how to greet a new pal?"

..And like any Italians would when encountering a creepy voice right behind them, he immediately panicked.

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend you in any way! I'm still a virgin, please don't kill me!"

* * *

 **Finally *sigh* I can update. To be honest, I dunno what to think about this chapter. It feels like.. something is off to me, ya know? But, heck, I'm done with the Ruins. That makes me happy enough, I guess. Off to Snowdin we go!**

 **A couple of life updates; 1) I've been feeling better than last time, certainly. Thanks to all who wished me to get well, and of course, all the favs and follows as well! Which leads me to number 2, the bad news.**

 **2) In a couple of weeks, unfortunately, I will be having my midterm exams. Hence, why you're not seeing the usual two chapter per week. The exam finishes on the 26th May, and I have to work extra harder, considering this is my final year in school. So, updates will be really slow. On the bright side, though, you'll get a long chapter!**


	8. Meeting a Certain Duo

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter VII_

 _Meeting a Certain Duo_

* * *

 _The golden light streamed through the windows, casting upon the two figures present in the hall. One was standing and the other sat collapsed on his knees. The glint of a sharp knife reflected the man's tearful gaze from a distance away._

 _"I.. I know that it's probably too late to say this.." He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to rid of himself the horrors he saw. "I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry..."_

 _"..."_

 _"I.. understand if you won't forgive me, so can you do me a favour? When.. when we meet again.. can you.. convince me to try those puzzles..?" A short, bitter laugh escaped his lips as the familiar black boxes flickered into existence. "I feel like those puzzles would've been fun if they were working.. Please, I beg you.. stop this from happening."_

 ** _*True Reset_**

...

"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Italy cowered, wishing he had brought his favourite flag as he continued to rant. "I didn't mean to offend you in any way! I'm still a virgin, please don't kill me!"

A deep laugh made him peeked his eyes open. In front of him was a skeleton. A somewhat short skeleton, wearing a permanent grin. He was wearing a white shirt underneath the unzipped blue hoodie, a black shorts with a single white stripe and fuzzy slippers.

"relax, kiddo. why don't you take my hand?"

The nation looked at the bony hand reached out to him. As he accepted the help, however, a loud sound pierced the air. He squirmed and glanced down at the hand, where the sound was coming from.

"hehehe." The skeleton chuckled, waving his hand where the prop was. "the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's ALWAYS funny."

A moment passed as the tension in the air was lifted. Italy, sensing that he could trust the skeleton, relaxed.

"anyway, you're a human, aren't you?" He asked, his white pupils looking at him. The auburn haired Italian nodded, remembering what he promised to Toriel. "that's hilarious. i'm sans. sans the skeleton."

"Ve, my name is Italy." The nation smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Sans."

"nice to meet you too. i'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now." Sans said. The Italian nation felt fear for a second before it disappeared when the skeleton continued. "but... y'know.. i don't really care about capturing anybody. now, my brother, papyrus, he's a human-hunting FANATIC... hey, actually, i think that's him over there."

Italy dared a peek behind him and sure enough, there was a tiny red silhouette approaching the area they were in. He whimpered. "What should I do? I don't want to be captured!"

"..hey, i have an idea. Go through this gate thingy." Behind him, Sans spoke up. The nation glanced reluctantly at him, but he still held that grin. "yeah. go right through. my brother made the bars too wide to stop anyone."

They walked past the wooden bridge and soon entered a rather empty clearing. The only objects that were there were a small shack, which he guessed was where the skeleton regularly at, and a lamp. The red silhouette was getting closer by the second.

"quick." Sans gestured to the lighting object. "behind that conveniently-shaped lamp."

The Italian nodded and position himself behind the lamp, feeling scared. The other figure, who turned out to be a tall skeleton, arrived at the clearing. He was glaring at Sans but the other seemed unfazed by it.

"sup, bro." He gave a lazy smile at his brother.

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP' BROTHER!" The sheer volume of Papyrus' voice caused the auburn haired Italian to jump a little when he peeked around the sides and watched the two skeletons' banter. "ITS BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED. YOUR. PUZZLES! YOU JUST HANG AROUND OUTSIDE TO YOUR STATION! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?"

"staring at this lamp." The shorter skeleton replied, causing a jolt of fear to ran into the nation's heart. "it's really cool. do you wanna look?"

"Is he trying to get me caught?" He whispered to himself, momentarily remembering all those time when he was caught by England during that certain era.

 _"Perhaps you should learn not to be too trusting around strangers."_ Chara cooed, though she was inwardly seething. _"Who knows what happens to those kind of people."_

Italy squeezed his eyes shut in fear, silently waiting for the time when Papyrus come up and capture him. He always seemed to trust people so easily, and that was his greatest weakness. Now, who knew what would happen to him. Romano would probably worried himself until he come here. That was what he did last time.

Wait... last time?

...

 _"Deep breaths. I'll remember if I calm down. OK, there's that one piece where I hid it with America. I just need to find that first. It's at... Ummm.."_

 _All of sudden, he jumped when a familiar voice shouted._

 _"I found you, Veneziano!"_

 _..._

 _"hehehe.. the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. it's ALWAYS funny."_

 _"..."_

 _"uhh... that's your cue to laugh.. or even emote."_

...

The Italian jumped, startled, when the familiar loud voice penetrated the quiet woods. He glanced around rapidly, heart beating fast before coming to a stop at the duo in front of him.

"NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH HERE!?" The tall skeleton exclaimed. "I WANT TO BE READY! I WILL BE THE ONE! I MUST BE THE ONE! I WILL CAPTURE A HUMAN!"

Papyrus struck a pose, his red scarf billowing as a gust of wind passed through the area. The nation leaned against the lamp, suddenly feeling a wave of tiredness passed through him.

"What was that..?"

"THEN, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS.. WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I UTTERLY DESERVED. RESPECT RECOGNITION. I WILL FINALLY BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD! PEOPLE WILL ASK TO BE MY 'FRIEND?' I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING."

"He reminds me of Prussia." Italy chuckled quietly, trying to distract himself by listening to the conversation.

"hmm.." Sans seemed thoughtful. "maybe this lamp will help you."

"SANS! YOU ARE NOT HELPING! YOU LAZYBONES!" Papyrus stomped the ground, an angry expression on his skeletal features. "ALL YOU DO IS SIT AND BOONDOGGLE! YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERYDAY!"

"hey, take it easy." An aura of mischief seemed to lingered around Sans as his grin widened. "i've gotten a ton of work done today. A skele-ton."

The short skeleton turned and winked at you. Yes, you there, sitting on a chair or lying down on the bed as you read this.

"SANS!"

"come on, you're smiling."

"I AM AND I HATE IT!" Papyrus sighed, exasperated."WHY DOES SOMEONE LIKE ME HAVE TO GO THROUGH SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION?"

"wow.." The other skeleton snickered. "sounds like you're really working yourself... down to the bone."

 _Ba dum tss._ The sounds of a drum echoed in your mind as Sans turned towards you again, hands in the air.

"UGH.. I WILL ATTEND MY PUZZLES. AS FOR YOUR WORK? PUT A LITTLE MORE 'BACKBONE INTO IT!" Papyrus turned around and walked away, cackling a particular laugh. "NYEHEHEHEHE..."

Italy started to step out of his position from behind the lamp, but was stopped by Sans who shook his head slightly. They waited until Papyrus came back, yelling a hearty "HEH!" before leaving again.

"ok, you can come out now."

"Was that Papyrus?" The auburn haired Italian came out of hiding and glanced down the way the taller skeleton had headed.

"sure was." Sans looked at him. "what do you think about him?"

"I think he'll get along greatly with a friend of mine."

"really? that's the first." He muttered, before shrugging. "you oughta get going. he might come back and if he does.. you'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

 _"Damn comedian.."_

The short skeleton winked at him. Italy laughed and nodded, not noticing how he seemed surprised by the reaction.

"Bye!" The nation waved at the skeleton as he walked away, following Papyrus' footsteps.

"actually, hey..." He paused, glancing backwards. Sans had his eyesockets closed, as if thinking. "hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favour? i was thinking... my brother's been kind of down lately... he's never seen a human before and seeing you might just made his day."

The Italian's smile tilted downwards a little. The skeleton noticed this and quickly added. "don't worry, he's not dangerous.. even if he tries to be."

"I know. I can tell." Italy beamed brightly. "I can do it, Sans. I need to go this way anyway."

The skeleton visibly relaxed as his grin widened. "thanks a million. i'll be up ahead."

"But that's the wrong direction.." He watched as Sans strolled back to the bridge and shrugged. "Maybe he has other things to do. Speaking of.. I wonder how's Toriel doing?"

* * *

 **I liiivveee! So tell me what mortal needs my protection, Great Ancestor. You just say the word and I'm there.**

 **Mushu...**

 **And let me say somethin'. Anybody who's foolish enough to threaten our family, vengeance will be miiiine!**

 **...** **Whoops. Wrong franchise. Sorry. But yeah, I'm back. I know, it's not a long chapter but well.. If you haven't write anything for weeks, you kinda lose interest in it. And that happened to me... Apologies for that.**

 **Anyway, this is just a warmup chapter for my writing. Next will be much longer, that's for sure.**

 **Fanfiction dot net does not like Papyrus' multiple exclamation and question marks. I demand that to be changed.**

 **Also, the meaning of boondoggle - w** **ork or activity that is wasteful or pointless but gives the appearance of having value. I didn't know the meaning the first time I played this, but it described Sans perfectly. XD**

 **Thanks for the support you guys gave. It was really heartwarming actually. I didn't know how many times I re-read it. It's nice to know that there are people who aren't prejudice towards certain races... So to speak.**

 **Also, I did well on my exam, thanks for the concern. Except for Bio and Chem... I can never understand those two subjects..**

 **Thanks for the confetti, WriterGreenReads. I will use the wisely. *catches them* :D**

 **Responding to ClosetedOtakus24 review, I won't be doing a Chara meets 2p Italy chapter, unfortunately. Granted, he is my favourite 2p (followed closely to my dear Oliver), but I just can't write Luciano. T.T**

 **Determination will see us through, FallenwaterTheFallen and ArmCannos34. ;)**

 **Thanks for the luck Pikminfan and Flightstrike. I needed it so badly.**

 **Also, APDubtalia drew a cover for this story. I'm waiting for permission from her to use it as the official cover for this story. It's still her drawing after all. Here's the link if you wanna see. I hope you don't mind me sharing this, APDubtalia.**

 **apdubtalia dot tumblr dot com/post/144358754500/a-bit-of-a-cover-i-made-after-reading-this**

 **Honestly, I didn't expect this to happen. Seeing this story blossoming, it really warms my heart. I want to be a writer one day because I know I have the passion to write, but my mother said to focus on more important fields, because writing is just a hobby.**

 **I agree with her, but at the same time, I also agree to a close friend of mine who said that talent is really important now days. Thousands of graduates were unsuccessful every year and took simple jobs like working at a restaurant because they couldn't find a place in the world. I'm painfully aware that one day, I might be one of those graduates.**

 **Wow, I went deep there. Anyway, as usual, there will be two chapters on the weekends and who knows, since it's school holidays right now, I might add more chapter.. ;)**


	9. Trekking Into Snowdin's Antics Part I

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter VIII:_

 _Trekking Into Snowdin's Antics Part I_

* * *

The burned wounds were healing up nicely, he noticed. The icy part of the cavern were cold, but it certainly helped with numbing the pain. Italy shivered as he felt another chilly wind passing through the area. Glancing around, the nation saw the glittering object of a Save Point, as well as a red wooden box with a sign beside it. Curious, he decided to check that out, after saving first.

 ***The convinience of that lamp still fills you with determination.**

 ***Progress saved.**

He did not know why, but he felt as if it was important to save, somehow. It did came in handy, with that certain incident not too long ago. Approaching the wooden box, the auburn haired Italian absentmindedly noticed the alternate route going north before reading the sign.

 _'This is a box. You can put an item inside and take an item out. The same box will appear later, so don't worry about coming back._

 _Sincerely, a box lover._ '

"...Chara? Are you there?" There was no reply. It appeared that she went silent again. Italy softly sighed, walking the northern route. He was starting to feel lonely. Chara had been by his side since he fell into the Underground and even though it was not by choice, they actually got along well, even if she took over his body without permission.

The northern path only had a streaming river, and a fishing pole affixed to the ground. When he reeled it in, all that was attached to it was a picture of an odd-looking monster and a note.

 _'Call me!_

 _Here's my number.'_

Italy gently put the line back into the river, sweatdropping. Someone was taking the term 'plenty of fishes in the sea' way too seriously. Going back out into the eastern route, he was snapped out of his musing by a certain loud voice.

"SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE," Papyrus was about to continue when he noticed the nation. He looked at his brother, who looked back at him, and back at the nation. And again. And again. Eventually, their pace increased, becoming faster and faster. The Italian felt dizzy watching the two brother spin around. Finally, they came to a stop with their backs facing him.

"SANS! OH MY GOD!" The red clad skeleton exclaimed excitedly. "IS THAT... A HUMAN?"

He gave a nervous wave at the duo when they turned around, but he noticed they were not looking at them exactly. Confused, he glanced behind him and saw..

"uhh.. actually.." Sans looked sheepish. "i think that's a rock."

"I'm not a rock!" The nation pouted at being mistaken. Dio, the rock did not even looked like him!

"OH.."

The taller skeleton seemed almost disappointed at that mistaken notion. The other of the three present, sensing the mood dampening with the Italian pouting, nudged his brother. "hey, what's that in front of the rock?"

"OH MY GOD!" White pupils was finally able to distinguish the intruder in front of the rock and the sense of disappointment turned into thrill. Papyrus' smile widened as he turned around again, whispering loudly. "IS... IS THAT A HUMAN?"

"yes." The older discreetly whispered back.

"OH MY GOD! SANS! I FINALLY DID IT!" He was becoming more and more animated by the second. "UNDYNE WILL... I'M GONNA... I'LL BE SO.. POPULAR! POPULAR! POPULAR!"

"..AHEM, HUMAN!" Italy jumped when the attention was on him. That volume.. It was a miracle how he did not hear it when he was travelling the Ruins. "YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU! I WILL THEN CAPTURE YOU! YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL! THEN! THEN... I'M NOT SURE WHAT NEXT!"

"Can't we just be friends?" The nation asked hopefully. _Please say yes.._

"FRIENDS? YOU ARE THE ENEMY! WE CANNOT BE FRIENDS!" He closed his eyes. "IN ANY CASE, CONTINUE... ONLY IF YOU DARE! NYEH HEH HEH HEH!"

"well.. that went well." Sans commented as his brother walked away, looking positively enthusiastic. He glanced at the auburn haired Italian with an unreadable expression on his skeletal features, save for that eternal grin. "..but friends?"

"It was worth a try.. I really like him and I want to be friends with him." There was also that odd feeling he had felt since entering the Underground. That sense that he had gone through this before.. but more differently. Why was he feeling this way? "Hmm.. maybe if I do his puzzles.. He can be my friend!"

"go ahead, kiddo." The short skeleton closed an eye playfully. "i'll keep an eyesocket out for ya."

"Arrivederci!"

As he continued along the path, he discovered a small building, much like the one he saw in that clearing. This shack was more refined though, as if the builder had taken his time building it. He spotted a note on the wall of the building, reading the narration on it.

 _'YOU OBSERVE THE WELL-CRAFTED SENTRY STATION. WHO COULD HAVE BUILT THIS, YOU PONDER... I BET IT WAS THAT VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARD MAN._

 _NOTE: NOT YET A VERY FAMOUS ROYAL GUARDSMAN.'_

 _"..As if it's not obvious who wrote it."_

"Chara! Are you okay?" Italy asked, worried and yet, delighted that she was talking again.

 _"What kind of question is that? Of course I'm okay."_ Chara huffed. _"I just need some time alone. You don't need me all the time."_

"You have a point there.." He sighed again and started strolling, taking in the pine trees and cold air. "How does this place have trees?"

 _"I don't know, magic? How was your SOUL able to come out of your body in a form of a heart, I wonder?"_

"It was just a question..."

 _"I was merely jesting, Italy."_

Seeing another small house in the distance gave them both the sense that Papyrus must had really like building sentry station. But as he got closer, the design was clearly different than the station he saw earlier. There was a desk bell on the table and a strange puppy carving on the horizontal wooden pillar. There was also a sign that said;

 _'Absolutely_ NO _moving.'_

He did not know what it meant, though, but he kept an air of precaution as he passed the station.

"Did something move?"

The nation jolted at the sudden voice, looking in fear at the station. There were now eyes looking suspicious left and right peeking out from the table. From what he could see, the creature looked like a bipedal dog, with his black ears and white muzzle.

"Was it my imagination? I can only see moving things.." He continued as the nation tried to stay as still as possible. "If something was moving... For example, a human..."

He took a sharp breath. With tense muscles, Italy took a step to the right, where his escape was.

 _Crack!_

"I'll make sure it NEVER moves again!"

A red soul flickered into existence and the surrounding area went dark as the bipedal creature leaped out of his station, wielding a pair of short swords. Now that he could see him properly, the dog was wearing a pink muscle shirt and leopard print stretch pants. His shifting eyes kept glancing around warily.

 _"Doggo. Easily excited by movements."_ The nation looked to his left and saw Chara, once again deciding to observe the battle from afar. She snickered. _"Hobbies include, squirrels."_

"Don't move an inch!"

Without warning, a light blue sword slashed through the air as Doggo moved his shortswords. Panicking, the Italian moved instinctively, lacking the time to register the dog's words. He cried out in pain when the glowing blue attack inflicted damage on him.

"MOVEMENT!? MOVEMENT!?" Doggo barked excitedly.

 _"Doggo has confirmed that he saw movements."_ The ghost giggled to herself. _"Oh, I'm having too much fun with this."_

 _I think I know what to do now.._ Italy thought to himself, preparing for the next attack.

Again, the light blue swords came towards him as the bipedal dog attacked him, but willed himself not to move. Miraculously, the blade passed harmlessly through him. Doggo glanced around, appearing to be confused by his sudden 'disappearance'. He went back from being exhilarated to skeptical, looking left and right suspiciously.

His foot brushed against something. Looking down, he saw the same branch that got him into this situation. An idea popped into his brain.

"Where are you?" As the sword passed through him, he quickly grabbed the broken stick and threw it into the air. The dog yipped, caught off guard by the sudden appearing branch and running off to get the wooden object. The darkened area lightened to its regular state as Doggo glanced at the branch in his hands, stuttering. "A-a branch just a-a-appeared from thin air! S-s-something can't just appear f-from nothing!"

He waited this time, not daring to move until the bipedal creature went back to his station, declaring. "I'm gonna need some dog treats for this!"

...

After what was called the 'dog incident' by a certain ghost, Italy walked into the next area and was encountered by Sans, who was standing there lazily. Upon noticing him, the skeleton waved a hand as a greeting.

"hey, how's it going?"

"Uh.. Pretty weird so far." He shook his head. "Actually, this has been a weird and tiring day. If I had know that this would happen, I never should've run away."

"..you ran away?"

The nation glanced at the short skeleton, confused before realisation dawned his mind. Honey-brown orbs widened in horror when he realised what he had said.

"Mio Dio! No! No, it's not like that!" He tried to explain, using his hands as guidance. "You see, I was supposed to be training with Germany, but I ran away because I want to have siestas and pasta. Then I got lost and.. here I am. It didn't help that I forgot I was supposed to be going to the World Meeting too. I didn't run away from my home or anything like that... Come to think of it, I'd probably be back at home if I didn't choose to run away. I hope fratello didn't do anything rash."

"'fratello'?"

"Si! Italian for 'brother'." Italy chirped, smiling fondly. "Ve, my big brother Romano is always protective of me. He never liked that I made friends with Germany... Oh, you know how I was saying that Papyrus would get along great with a friend of mine? I was talking about Prussia!"

"prussia, huh? what's he like?"

"Well... Prussia's the big brother to Germany. From what people say, he's loud and always saying that he's awesome. Apparently, he's annoying too, but I don't think he's annoying. He also likes to play pranks on other people."

"hmm..." Sans seemed to think for a moment. "nah, he wouldn't go along with pap."

"Really?"

"yea." The skeletal monster nodded. "papyrus can't even stand my amazing puns, much less when i pulled a prank on him. but i'd like to meet this guy one day."

"When I break the barrier," The auburn haired Italian smiled, a hint of determination lighting up his heart. "I'll make sure you guys meet."

"yea- wait, when you break the barrier?"

"Si. What's wrong?" Concerned, The nation looked at him, seeing that big smile faltered a little. "Did I say something wrong?"

"..nah, don't sweat it, kid. i was just surprised, is all." The skeleton seemed to regain his composure, smiling wistfully. "maybe one day, we can see the real sun."

Italy frowned. How long had the monsterkind been here? He glanced around, ice on the ground with a sign in the middle of the clearing, another alternative route to the north and the east, as well as more trees. From what he know, trees normally take a long time to grow, especially full grown trees like these. He was no botanist, preferring art against science, but unless if there exist some sort of magical growing spell..

"hey, kid." He was snapped out of his trail of thoughts when Sans spoke up, looking away. "ya should probably get going. wouldn't want me to start making jokes, right?"

"Yeah.. bye." His frown deepened when he gave a much less energy compared to his cheerful goodbyes.

...

Sans watched as the human walked away, nearly slipping on the ice. As he was strolling back into Doggo's territory, familiar yellow petals peeked out of the snow, the owner of those petals glaring at him. He gave a casual greeting, but underneath it, his tone was cold.

"sup?"

"Trashbag."

The two just glared at each other, neither saying anything. It was not until Doggo came out of his station and stumbled away when Flowey decided to speak out.

"So.. how was he? You remember the last run, right?"

"sure did. he seemed.. oddly pacifist."

"Well, he did do a True Reset, not a regular Reset. He probably won't remember those times." The flower shivered, remembering those cold, emotionless, red eyes.

 _"Chara... I don't like this anymore..."_

"Oh yeah, I just came to tell you this." The flower said as he remembered. "You can't trust him. No matter what."

"and why is that?" Sans challenged.

"Did you see how high his LOVE was, idiot?" Flowey growled. "That murderer has been killing people even before he come here."

"but he hasn't done anything against monsters. so i won't kill him."

"Yet. You're an idiot for believing that." Sensing the conversation was going nowhere, he shook his petals. "Well, I'm outta here. Oh, one more thing."

His face stayed neutral but there was a tinge of caution in the flower's voice. The skeleton tensed when he spoke.

"He's bringing more of his friends over."

* * *

 **Hehe.. I just love cliffhangers.**

 **Hey! We've entered the double digit number, if you include my A/N chapter as well. Celebrations!**

 **Calm down there FallenwaterTheFallen... You're getting overexcited. On a side note, I wanna see your drawing. You won't know until you try it. Here's a tip, try to get a reference point and trace as best as you can. I did that when I first started drawing.**

 **I swear, APDubtalia.. The first time I saw Papyrus, I thought he was the undertale Prussia. Lol. But nah. While they both share similar qualities, they also have their difference.**

 **I hear your advice, ArmCannos34. Maybe I should join some local writing contests. That's a nice thing to consider... If they weren't limiting to only about a thousand plus words. I always write more than that.**

 **Shhhh... Sans has always been watching you, WriterGreenReads... be careful when you sleep tonight...**

 **Now then, in your opinion, which boss is the hardest? (Let's exclude Sans, yes?)**

 **In my opinion, Muffet's battle is the hardest. It was so frustrating when you have to time perfectly to dodge, especially when you include her pet. Second hardest is Papyrus. Surprisingly. It seemed so easy watching on YouTube than playing it for yourself.**

 **On a final note, why don't you check out my story 'The Final Escape'? It's a crossover between Touhou and Hetalia. This has been sitting in my archive for a while now. I've only got 5 chapters posted and haven't work on it since but I do plan on working on it once I'm done with this. :)**


	10. Trekking Into Snowdin's Antics Part II

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

* * *

 _Chapter VIIII:_

 _Trekking Into Snowdin's Antics Part II_

* * *

 _'North: Ice_

 _South: Ice_

 _West: Ice_

 _East: Snowdin Town... and Ice.'_

After nearly slipping on the ice several time, the Italian could finally read what was on the sign. He felt a tad bit disappointed after thinking that the sign could be helpful. All it did was to say the same thing, save for east. Snowdin Town... sounds like a fun place to be in. Going the alternate path, he could see that there was only a snowman, who seemed sad.

 _So, snowmans are alive too.._

"Hello, traveller." Upon seeing Italy approaching, the snowman smiled, delighted that someone was visiting him. "I am a snowman. I want to see the world, but I cannot move. If you would be so kind, traveller... Please.. Take a piece of me and bring far away."

"I-.." The nation started but paused, seemingly in deep thought. The snowman, fearing his reaction, sighed and took back his words, a tinge of melancholy in his voice.

"It is fine, traveller. You do not have to accept my offer."

"...I never said no, did I?" Italy chuckled, embarrassed. "Sorry if you think that I'll say no. I was just... thinking."

"Thank you, traveller!" As best as he could, the snowman used his branchlike arms to form a small snowball and beamed as he passed it to the other. The nation accepted the gift and placed it into one of his pockets. "Good luck on your journey!"

"Grazie! I'll take care of it!" A little bit of light returned to his face as the Italian beamed brightly. "Arrivederci!"

He wandered back to the intersection and went east, humming a cheerful tune. What he saw were a familiar pair of skeleton far ahead. What he heard was a strange and unfamiliar conversation between them.

"REALLY THOUGH! THAT HUMAN!" The taller skeleton pondered, curiosity in his voice. "DO I KNOW THAT PERSON?"

"do you not know," Sans looked away. "who you know?"

"PFFT! OF COURSE I KNOW WHO I KNOW!" The red clad skeleton closed his eyes and tapped his feet in thought. "I WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU KNOW... I KNOW WHO I KNOW AS MUCH AS I KNOW WHO I KNOW! ..YOU KNOW?"

Papyrus sounded confused by the end of the sentence. Italy approached them, feet crunching in the snow. The two skeleton turned their attention towards him, and the odd conversation ceased there.

"OH-HO! SPEAK OF THE DEVIL! HALT, HUMAN!" He exclaimed, grinning with an air of confidence. "IN ORDER TO STOP YOU, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME PUZZLES! I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS QUITE... SHOCKING!" Here he paused to give a glare at his brother who was attempting to hold in his laughter. "FOR YOU SEE, THIS IS THE INVISIBLE... ELECTRICITY MAZE."

"i guess you could say that this could be," The skeleton in the blue hoodie snickered. "a-maze-ing."

"SANS!" Exasperated, Papyrus turned his attention away to the chuckling nation and started explaining. "WHEN YOU TOUCH THE INVISIBLE WALLS," He took out a crystal clear ball. "THIS ORB WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP! SOUND LIKE FUN? THE AMOUNT OF FUN YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE.. IS ACTUALLY RATHER SMALL I THINK. OK, YOU CAN GO NOW."

The auburn haired Italian looked at the clearing ahead of him, a spike of fear lingering in his chest. He did not want to move, even with the expectant gazes of the two monsters. He valued his life over some dangerous puzzle. So, he just stood there nervously, fingers twiddling, until Chara decided to intervene.

 _"Why are you doing? Are you really going to just stand there?"_ There was no reply, but she could feel a sense of anxiety from him. She sighed, materialising beside him and gave a look. " _You've faced the Ruins puzzles, Toriel's flames, even said that you wanted to be friends with that skeleton by doing his puzzles and now you won't move?"_

"It's not that I don't want to move.." Italy murmured softly, trying not to see the questioning look they were giving. "I'm scared."

 _"...Try to take a step forwards. See what happens."_

Hesitantly, he took a tentative step forward and jumped when there was a loud buzzing sound. The nation returned to his original position as he watched Papyrus getting electrocuted. After that was over, he blinked in shock, whole body as black as charcoal.

"SANS!" The taller skeleton yelled, his body turning back to his regular state. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

"i think the human has to hold the orb."

"OH, OKAY." With that spoken, Papyrus walked through the maze, left, up, left again, down and finally reached him. He did not notice that he left a trail of footprints behind as he walked. "HOLD THIS PLEASE."

The orb was thrown in the air in a dramatic way and was caught by the auburn haired Italian. He observed the trail of footprints as the skeleton advanced back to stand beside his brother.

"OKAY, TRY NOW!"

 _"Well? Are you still going to stand there?"_

Italy maneuvered through the maze, carefully following the footprints left by the red clad skeleton. When he reached the end of the maze, Papyrus seemed amazed by his achievement as his smile widened.

"INCREDIBLE! YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!" He placed a gloved and on his chin in a thoughtful manner. "YOU SOLVED IT SO EASILY... TOO EASILY... HOWEVER! THE NEXT PUZZLES WILL NOT BE EASY! IT IS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS!" He gestured at said person. "YOU WILL SURE BE CONFOUNDED! I KNOW I AM! NYEH HEH HEH HEH HEH!"

The others stared as he walked away, cackling as usual. Sans looked at the nation, a hint of gratefulness in his voice.

"hey, thanks." He said, looking at his brother's retreating form and back at the Italian. "my brother seems like he's having fun."

"I try my best.." Italy chuckled and gazed at the maze behind him. "Where should I put this orb?"

"just leave it on the ground." At the nation's look, the skeleton laughed. "don't worry about it. my brother will probably take it and use it on the next poor soul. by the way, did you see that weird outfit he was wearing?"

He nodded, promoting Sans to continue.

"we made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. he hasn't worn anything else since. keeps calling it his 'battle body'..." The skeletal monster chuckled fondly. "man.. isn't my brother cool?"

...

Romano stared at the phone in his hands, debating. When he had tried to call after the meeting, there was no reply, even when he tried it several times. At first, he thought it was just signal interference since Veneziano had been stuck underground for a while now, but then..

How was he able to call from below, especially if he left his phone at the hotel?

There was another matter. Being connected as the same country, the two siblings shared a bond, where they could sense each other's emotions and occasionally share memories as well. A certain incident proved that fact. Closing his eyes, he felt happiness and carefree, as if the northern part of Italy was acting normally. However, there was something else as well...

He could sense someone else in the bond they shared.

...

 _He found himself in a tunnel of some sorts. It was too dark to see anything but the scene in front of him, and what he saw surprised him. An anthropomorphic animal, resembling a goat, stood facing Veneziano, magical flames coming out of its palms. The nation, on the other hand, was moving around, but he noticed a glowing red heart with gold outlining it floating in his chest._

 _What on Earth was going on?_

 _"No." Tightening his hands into fists, his brother stopped dodging the flames. The inferno continued to burn him, the heart cracking and becoming dimmer until he was on the verge of collapsing. "I won't fight you. I've spared everyone I met in the Ruins, and you're no exception."_

 _"Stop it..." The creature faltered, looking away. "Stop looking at me like that..."_

 _Miraculously, the red flames steered away from the Italian, just barely grazing him until it stopped hitting altogether. The anthropomorphic animal lowered its arms, smiling with a hint of sadness as the magic dispersed._

 _"Look, I know you want to leave now... But please.." The creature started, a guilty expression on its face. "Go upstairs. I.. I promise I will take good care of you. I know we do not have much but.. We can have a good life here."_

 _"I know.." With the weakening heart still visible, Italy stumbled forward and engulfed it in a hug, squeezing tightly. "I know, madre. I don't doubt that at all. But, at the same time.. I have friends too, living on the surface. A brother waiting for me to come home. And I want you to meet them. Toriel.."_

 _He squeezed harder._

 _"Please let me go."_

 _"Ha ha.. Pathetic, is it not? I cannot save even a single child." 'Toriel' chuckled bitterly, leaning into the hug. "I understand, Italy. Living here will just be unsuitable for you. The Ruins are very small once you get used to them. My expectation, my loneliness.. my fear. For you, my child, I will set them aside."_

...

With a jolt, Romano woke up, staring into the darkness of his hotel room as he recalled what he saw. The dark haired Italian had not received any memories from his brother since that incident. Pursing his lips, he reluctantly tapped a number on the screen, pressing the green button. The beeping lasted for a few seconds before it was picked up.

"Hello?"

"America, we need to talk."

...

As Italy wandered into the next area, the first thing he noticed was a ice cream stand and Sans standing a distance away. By now, he had dismissed how the skeleton managed to move around so quickly, as if he was teleporting. When he had asked about it, he merely winked and said that he used a shortcut. He briefly wondered how many shortcuts are there in this place.

As he advanced towards the ice cream stand, he observed the vendor. He was a light blue furred rabbit-like monster. There was a tuft of fur sprouting from the top of his head. The vendor wore a bright yellow short-sleeved shirt with a single, vertical red stripe in the middle, and bright red pants.

"I don't understand why these aren't selling..." He murmured, sighing softly. "It's the perfect weather for something cold..."

It was then he noticed the nation approaching.

"OH! A CUSTOMER!"The ice cream vendor grinned, delighted. "Hello! Would you like some Nice Cream? It's the frozen treat that warms up your heart! Now just 15G!"

"Sure!" Italy chirped smiling. "What flavours do you have?"

"Plenty! Why don't you take a look?"

"Do you want one?" He whispered to Chara, observing her actions. She was peeking into the cart, eyes widening when she had found what she was looking for. "Which one?"

 _"Chocolate. Chocolate. Please, I want it so badly."_

"Just chocolate, please." He said.

The vendor nodded and took out the Nice Cream. "Here you go, sir!"

"Grazie!" The Italian paid and left, saying a 'goodbye!' as he did. As he walked to the cliff, the ghost reached for the cold snack, but being what she was, her hands only phased through. She cringed and glanced at him.

 _"Italy."_

"Si?" He looked over and saw her pouting face. "What is it?"

 _"Let me take over."_

He did not reply immediately. Chara, desperate for the chocolate, attempted to reason with him.

 _"Please? I-I'll give it back, I promise!"_ She tried to grab the Nice Cream. _"Just look! Can you see this? I'm a ghost, I can't touch physical objects. Just please, I want to eat it."_

"I- Fine.." He reluctantly gave in, clearly remembering the last time she took over. "Just keep your promise."

With that spoken, the ghost immediately took control. Eagerly opening the wrapper, she hummed happily as the sweet flavour exploded in her mouth. She sat down on the snow and enjoyed every bite whilst pointedly ignoring certain giggles coming from the nation.

* * *

 **Ah. Sorry for the late update. My muse was going slowly and I hit a Writer's Block for an entire day.**

 **The conversation between Sans and Papyrus was actually real. I was watching Manly's, as in ManlyBadassHero, playthough as a reference point and saw this. When I compared it to Cry's playthough, the conversation was about sleeping. I suspect that the playthough Manly posted was not his first reset.**

 **...I'm so addicted to Radix's cover of My Best Nightmare. It's so awesome.**

 **Slight note. I did some major editing because the chapter title cannot afford having a lot of characters. So, I apologise if the some of the chapters ends up having the same document and I will try to fix it immediately.**


	11. Intermission Part One

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale.**

 **A/N: You thought this is another chapter about sweet, cinnamon roll Italy, is it? Ha! You thought wrong!**

* * *

 _Chapter X:_

 _Intermission Part One_

* * *

"Ebott Town, huh.." Romano mused as they travelled along the sidewalk. The place, in appearance, lookedd reminiscing to the western days of cowboys and whatnot, especially that closed down railway station at the far edge of the town. The small town seemed decent enough, with its people hustling down the pavement street. "What a shithole this place is. Oi, burger bastard, you know which mountain is it?"

He turned around, only to see America standing in place, staring at the crowds. The nation had this faraway look in his eyes, as if he was relieving the past. Concerned, the Italian approached him, waving a hand as an attempt to snap him out of his trance.

"Hey, America..?"

...

 _"Howdy, mister!" A feminine voice called out to the man taking care of the stable, a light southern drawl in her accent. The stableman, glanced away from combing a horse to see a young lass approaching him, holding the reins to her horse. He looked up and down, noting her appearance._

 _The girl, for one, was not wearing the usual style women liked at that time. She wore a blue long sleeved button shirt with its sleeves rolled up, and a dark pants with leather boots. Looking closely, there was a holster with a revolver on her left side as well as a knife strapped to her boot. There was also a small leather satchel slung over her shoulder. Her dark hair was covered by a light brown hat with white lining, and her sky blue eyes gleamed with intelligence and curiosity._

 _"Howdy, lass." He gave a welcoming grin, to which she smiled back. "Never seen a damsel like you around here before. Ya new in town?"_

 _"I'm just a wanderin' traveller, sir." She gestured to her neighing horse. "I need someone to take care of 'im while I settle some business. Ya can do that?"_

 _"Of course, miss. For how long?"_

 _"Just a few days." She opened the satchel, revealing a violet notebook as she dug in. Taking out a couple of gold coins, the girl handed it to him. "This enough?"_

 _"Good enough." She passed the reins to the stableman. "Take care, miss."_

 _"Thank you. Have a good day to you, sir!" She glanced around town, noting the number of mountains in the area as she murmured under her breath. "Now, which mountain can I find you?"_

 _As the girl walked away from the stable and into town, a boy standing across the street stared at the bulletin board with pursed lips before ripping out a poster, folding it as he walked away._

...

"Damnit, snap out of it!"

Blinking, America leaned away when his forehead was suddenly filled with slight, stinging pain. He glared at the scowling nation, rubbing away the aforementioned pain with his hand. "Dude, what the hell was that about?"

"Welcome back to the real world, asshole." Was it his imagination, or did he saw a glint of worry in those eyes. "Now, do you or do you not know where the mountain is?"

Huffing, he glanced up at the number of mountains surrounding the town. It was a fact that the German nation, so adamant to find his friend, failed to consider and he failed to tell him. However, he figured it was better to stay that way.

Truth be told, he did not want anyone to come close to the mountain. The blond American managed to successfully keep his citizens and nations away for years, hiding the existence of monsters from the world. Until, of course, a few days ago, where a certain ditzy Italian somehow ran passed all the precautions he had placed so meticulously, according to Romano.

He would rather stay away from the mountain, and would had kept his mouth shut during the goddamn meeting had he known that eventually Germany would turn his attention to him, forcing the answers out of him anyway. He was not sure whether he should feel relief or not when Romano called him.

Was the two of them enough, or was it better to wait for everyone to arrive?

The American bit down a wave of frustration, feeling a pang of loss in his heart.

...

 _The boy stared up at the mountain looming ominously at the distance, his grip at the posters tightened as he marched on into the woods._

 _..._

 _Hmm? What was that?_

America paused in his steps. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the environment as a hand moving towards the gun he kept in his bomber jacket. But when there was nothing to be seen, he shook his head and continued on.

Behind him, the dark haired Italian raised an eyebrow at his companion's actions. Ever since they arrived in town, his mood seemed to change drastically, appearing to be more distant and quiet than normal. He scoffed in his head. America and quiet did not mix in any way, the self proclaimed hero was loud and obnoxiously annoying, with his terrible taste in food.

Yet, as he gazed at him..

"Oi, burger bastard." The American nation glanced back at him, waiting. He gestured at the forest floor. "Let's take a break before we move on."

The blond American opened his mouth, as if wanting to say something, but he closed them back. He sat down on the grassy area, sighing instead. Romano sat across from him, taking out a couple bottles of water, tossing one to the other before drinking his.

America, having caught the bottle through reflexes, simply stared at it. For a while, they sat there in silence, one waiting for the other to talk while the other refused to speak.

"I didn't want to go back here, you know?" Momentarily startled, the Italian tore his gaze away from a particularly unique flower to the his fellow nation. America looked away, taking out his gun and inspecting it. "I-I didn't want anyone to know about this. If Italy hadn't fallen down, it would've remained that way."

There was something in his voice, a raw emotion hiding underneath that cracked voice. Romano narrowed his eyes. Had he lost someone precious?

"What happened?" He asked. The American glanced at him, seeing his neutral expression as an invitation to continue.

"People were afraid. I mean, an unknown species that can absorb human souls, of course they were scared. Even I was the same. When we sealed them underground, I saw the fear and defeat in those monsters' eyes." A short, bitter laugh escaped his lips. "There's a reason why I always mock Iggy for his beliefs."

A rustle caught his attention, snapping him out of his reverie. America stood and looked around, failing to notice the other watching him with a confused expression. He began walking towards the source of the sound, pocketing the bottle of water and keeping a firm grip on the gun. A pair of voices could be heard in the distance, one he sense its familiarity from somewhere in his past.

...

 _"Aha! See?" The girl just barely managed to refrain herself from childishly sticking out her tongue. The violet notebook was in her hands, a page opened to reveal a map. "I told ya we would find it."_

 _"After the first ten times ya got us lost!" Her companion, the boy, seeming the same age as the girl, snapped at her. His southern accent was noticeably thicker than the other. "If it were possible, I would've left ya in the forest."_

 _"It was all for the sake of research. I told ya, my pa didn't exactly write down any specific details." She waved her notebook, as if emphasizing her point. The girl took off her hat, her dark brown hair tied in a ponytail swished from the movement, and smiled slightly, a sorry glint in her sky blue irises."I thank ya for helping me with this and I apologize for wastin' your time. Would you accept this poor damsel's apology?"_

 _He sighed, closing his own sapphire eyes in exasperation. The clothes he was wearing, a cream tunic underneath his brown vest, dark pants and leather boots, was sweaty from the amount of hiking they had to go through. The revolver that sat in his holster felt heavy, and his tousled golden hair, hidden underneath the cowboy hat, felt damp from perspiring._

 _The boy chose to walk into the cave, leaving the other pouting momentarily before trailing after him._

...

"Hey! America! Wait up, bastard!"

Romano finally caught up to him, growling. He opened his mouth to give him a piece of his mind but the words died when he realized just what the other was staring at. A cave entrance loomed before them, tucked and hidden away underneath the branches of the tall mountain trees.

"This is it." America said, a frown on his lips. He glanced at his fellow nation, and if the other was observing him, he would had notice the way his hands were clenched into fists. "You got a flashlight?"

The Italian nodded, reaching into the backpack and taking out said item, turning it on with a click. The ray of light focused and shined into the darkness, revealing the uneven path that laid before them. Without waiting another moment, the two walked in deep and deeper, where a cavern was located at the end of the cave.

...

 _"Ya sure you wanna go down there?"_

 _The joke felt flat as they stared down into the dark abyss. The girl glanced at her companion as best as she could in the dim lighting, and upon seeing his serious expression, frowned. He could not be joking..._

 _"I have to. Remember what I said before." The boy knelt down on one knee and peered, trying to gauge how deep the hole in the ground was._

 _"Easy there, hero. I know you really wanna bring them justice, but this?" She frantically gestured at downwards, attempting to convince him in vain. "This is madness! First off, ya don't have a rope so you can descend easily, and if you jump down on this height, you'll break your bones and die before you can serve justice!"_

 _For a moment, it appeared that the girl's words reached him. His brows furrowed, indecisiveness conflicting with other emotions in his mind. He stood up abruptly, shaking his head._

 _"You're right. What was I thinking?" The boy gave a short laugh. "I'll.. I'll come back another day, when I'm more prepared."_

 _The girl stared at him, a thoughtful expression on her face._

 _"...Here." He glanced at her holding a piece of paper towards him. As he took it, sapphire orbs saw that it was the map of the mountain, and he glanced back at her, puzzled. She simply held up her violet notebook. "Ya can keep it. I've already got what I needed and from the looks of it, you'll probably need it more than I do."_

 _"I.." The boy trailed off, speechless. Finally, he took of his hat and placed it on his chest, grateful. "Thank you, miss."_

 _"It's no problem! I'll just hope you avenge 'em, Mister Justice." The girl winked at him and giggled lightly as he placed the hat to where it belonged. She shuffled her foot, turning towards the direction they came from. "Now, shall we go back down the mountain and prepare, pardner?"_

 _He just shook his head in exasperation, but there was a small smile on his lips as he listened to her laughing again. Together, they started walking back to the cave entrance, discussing their plans._

 _What on Earth..?_

 _One moment he was travelling alongside his companion.. The next, the boy was stumbling backwards, where the cavern was. His arms failed wildly, trying to grasp anything but the air. The other glanced back at him, the mirth in those eyes disappearing in an instant as they widened in alarm. Her lips parted to scream his name._

 _"Jeremiah!"_

 _His feet slipped, and he shut his eyes instinctively as he felt gravity controlling him._

 _"Hang on, I got you!"_

 _There was a tug on his wrist, struggling to pull him up. He opened his eyes, sky blue irises mirroring his own fear. The girl was straining with effort, trying her best to save him. She let go of one hand and reached out towards him, the other tightening its grip._

 _"Come on!" She grunted. "Take my hand!"_

 _He tried his best to grasped it, the fear and adrenaline racing through his veins. His hand fumbled a few times before successfully clutching the small palm, holding onto it for his life._

 _But it was all for naught._

 _The girl gasped in surprise as ground beneath her feet crumbled. She stumbled, trying to regain her momentum but failed and instead, found herself falling with him. The two fell into the dark abyss, their screams echoed throughout the cave tunnel._

 _"Sophie!"_

...

America stared down at the hole in the ground, the light from the flashlight shining down into the abyss. It looked like the cavern opened up after a few feet down but beyond that, he could not see anything. From the looks of it, they would have to go in blind. Behind him, The dark haired Italian was forming a safe way to go down by tying a thick rope at a nearby boulder.

"Oi! Burger bastard!" He turned his head and stood upon being called, approaching Romano. He gestured at the knotted rope. "You think this is good enough?"

The rope was pulled harshly, and he nodded. It would hold their weight fairly well. At the very least, one of them. They stood up, glancing back at the deep cavern and then at each other.

"So, how do we do this?"

"Well, one of us has to go down, while the other will have to stay up here." Sky blue eyes behind the glasses stared tiredly at the other, as if pleading him to stop. "You sure you're up to this?"

"I'm going down whether you like it or not, bastard." The dark haired Italian stated firmly. "Vene's in trouble and I have to be there for him at least."

"...Then I'll stay up here and lower you down." The blond American smirked, combing his hair as he shook his head. "Keep in mind that I won't be following you. I'll try to keep the others distracted from coming. It's probably for the best anyway. The less of you there are, the better..."

"You sure?" Romano pursed his lips, uncertain. "I know that the potato bastard can be tough. That British bastard too.. "

"Nah, what's the worst they can do? I understand why Germany and Japan are determined at least. But the others..." He chuckled, shaking his head again. "Actually, I've been thinking about it since the meeting, wondering if I made the right decision. But when you called me about what you saw... I decided, I don't wanna start another war with the monsters, much less be responsible for their massacre. I already lost someone close to me because of what happened when the first war occurred."

"...Alright then."

With that marking the end of the conversation, America helped him prepare for the descent. The two were quiet throughout the preparation and yet, there was a comfortable feeling in the air. In the end, the dark haired Italian stood by the edge of the gaping hole. The American gave a mock salute from where he stood, holding the rope in place.

"May the force be with you, young padawan."

"Bastard." He rolled his eyes and gazed downwards, a hand flashing the light trying to ease his fears.

"Seriously though, good luck." He continued, smiling. His eyes had a small spark of its usual mirth in them. "I hope the two of you made it back in time before they decided to kill me."

"If that's the case, then I would take my sweet time, right?"

"Asshole."

"Bastard."

Taking a deep breath, Romano began lowering himself. At first he climbed down the walls of the cave, but when the walls widened, he had to rely on his fellow nation for help. The rope immediately tightened, causing the other to grunt a little. He slowly release the thick rope bit by bit as the Italian nation continued to descent. Pointing the flashlight downwards, he caught a glimpse of, what was that, a bed of yellow flowers?

"Ah!"

Alarmed, he pointed the item in his hand upwards, concerned.

"Oi, burger bastard! You okay there?"

A pause and a grunt before the reply came.

"Yeah, I'm fine! It's just that... You know the way you tied that knot?"

He did not like the sound of that.

"Why..?"

"It's, uh..." Suddenly, he yelled out in pain. "Damn, you're heavier than you look, Romano. I'm gonna try lower you as fast as I can before-"

He _definitely_ did not like the sound of that.

A crumbling sound could be heard, chunks of rocks rained on him and before he knew it, gravity took hold. Screams could be heard echoing as they continued to fall, deeper into the abyss and into the world of monsters.

...

"Argh.." America groaned, his mind felt muddled with pain. Blinking his eyes open, he stared up at the hole that they had fallen into as one coherent thought formed itself in his mind. "That was.. A really bad idea... Ugh.. Next time, Romano... I'm tying the rope!"

His vision was blurry, and with a hand on his face, he realized his glasses had came off during the fall. With a grunt, he tried to sit up, patting the ground for his glasses. With a faint eyesight, the surface looked like bright yellow, almost golden and it felt bouncy and soft, like a mattress.

His fingers felt the rim of his glasses, and he smiled in triumph, putting them in their rightful place. His vision sharpened, though it was still slightly fuzzy around the edges. The American nation saw that they had fallen onto a bed of flowers.

"Huh.." He touched the petals again, feeling them bounce. "Cool."

Glancing around the cavern, he saw that his fellow nation lied unconscious nearby. The nation gritted his teeth, his mind almost went blind in agony when he tried to stand, collapsing back onto the flowers. _I must have broken some bones_ , he thought dryly, trying to suppressed a scream that would surely attract every monster within several kilometers vicinity.

The flowers were not as soft as they appeared to be. Blinking away the lingering spots in his vision, he did not register the muffled footsteps, heavy and dragging, echoed throughout the cavern.

However, America did hear heavy doors creaking open.

In a flash, he tried to sit up, unable to stop the cry of pain from escaping his lips. The footsteps paused, as if surprised, before shuffling faster, and through his dim sight, he saw a flash of white and purple appearing through the doorway. He took out the gun in his jacket, pointing at the blurry figure as they approached the two nations.

"S-stay back!" He shouted, hands trembling as one hand acted as a support to keep his body upright while the other struggled to steady his aim. They paused, uncertain. "If you take one more step, I will shoot you!"

"But you and your friend are deeply injured, are you not?" The figure spoke, their tone soothing and motherly, like they were trying to calm a crying child. "Please, let me help you."

The blond American frowned deeply, unable to shake away the feeling that he had heard the voice before. His vision finally cleared, revealing who was standing in the hallway and-

His aim on the figure wavered. Recognition flashed in his eyes as he stared at _her_.

"... _T-Toriel_?" He choked out, disbelief evident in his voice. "W-why.. Why you...?"

The pain in his body, combined with the sudden influx of strong emotions as well as the aching in his chest, were proven to be too much for the nation to bear when he dropped the gun and fell bouncing to his side, unconsciously letting out a whimper. His eyes fluttered shut, fuzzy images of the purple clad monster running towards them remained even as the world around him faded away to black.

* * *

 **Poor America... I actually wanted to give him a hug when I wrote this. Also, I do not and will not write ships even if... Argh.. All these conflicting feelings!**

 ***Ahem* Hey! I am back in the writing business, baby!**

 **In case you haven't read the recently posted 'An Ending', original title, I know. I had stated there the reason why I had been offline for, like, four, five months?**

 **Eheh..**

 ***Coughs* Anyway, I won't be updating regularly, as I need to regain my momentum. Ha! God, I love you Physics, so understandable compared to Biology and Chemistry.**

 **Actually, let's make that into the question of the day (or, y'know until the next update.)**

 **Which of the three Subjects would you prefer the most? Biology, Chemistry or Physics?**


	12. Trekking Into Snowdin's Antics Part III

***Seeing the increase of reviews and follows, no matter how little it is..**

 ***It fills you with determination.**

 ***HP fully restored.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, nor do I own Undertale. Did I sentence that right?**

 **A/N: Special notes and preview awaits at the end of this chapter.**

* * *

"HUMAN!"

Papyrus' loud voice rang echoed in the clearing. As Italy came to a stop, he glanced around his surrounding, eyes searching for the next puzzle. So far, besides the cold snow and dead trees covering, he did not see anything…

"I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR.." The tall skeleton paused, apparently noticing the same thing he did. He turned to his brother. "SANS! WHERE'S THE PUZZLE?"

"it's right there, on the ground." At this, both heads snapped down to where a single piece of paper lies between them. Sans reassured. "trust me. there's no way he can get past this part."

Papyrus nodded, turning his attention back at the nation. Taking this as his cue, the auburn haired Italian cautiously approach the piece of paper, mind brainstorming at what kind of puzzle the shorter skeleton would use. Just as he reached it, Chara piped up.

 _"Oh, relax. Knowing that skeleton, it's probably nothing too bad."_

Feeling slightly reassured by her words, he knelt down, picking up the puzzle and inspecting it. The nation tilted his head to the side, confused. He glanced up at the skeleton brothers.

"Um, what am I supposed to do here?"

All he could see was a bunch of letters mixed up in a box. There were random words written on the top of the page, one completely seemed like someone placed a hand on the keyboard and moved it without a thought. Italy would know, he had done that before.

The reprimanding he got from Germany that day, though on his defense, World Meetings can be a bit dull sometimes.

Germany… His smile faltered for a moment. The nation wondered how his friends were doing? Were they thinking about him? Were they trying their very best to find him? Italy tuned back to the conversation, attempting not to linger on those thoughts.

"you're supposed to search for the words at the top, see?" Sans answered, a mild amusement in his voice.

"Oh.." He nodded, glancing back at the thin paper. "Ve, do you have a pen or pencil? I didn't bring any with me."

 _"Seriously? Don't you have a place to be at?"_ The ghost in his head asked. _"Just keep it. You can solve it later."_

"Well.." The auburn haired Italian shrugged, choosing to heed her advice. He stood up to his feet, walking towards them cheerfully.

"SANS!" Papyrus complained, seeing that the puzzle did not deter his determination. "IT DIDN'T EVEN STOP HIM!"

"oops." The shorter skeleton closed his eyes lazily. "should've used today's crossword instead."

"CROSSWORD!?" The battle clad skeleton scoffed. He did not sound angry, he sounded downright offended. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT! WHY, IN MY OPINION, JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST."

"really? that easy-peasy word scramble?" Sans shook his head. "that's for baby bones."

"UN. BE. LIEAVBLE." Papyrus turned his attention back to Italy, declaring. "HUMAN! SOLVE THIS DISPUTE!"

"Ve… Do I really have to choose?" Italy bobbed his head to the side, his curl bouncing. "It sounds like both are equally hard to me. I mean, I don't normally do puzzles all the time. Just drawing, taking a nap, playing with cats and sometimes playing games too!"

"HMM.. I HAVE NEVER MET A HUMAN WHO THINKS BOTH ARE DIFFICULT." A skeletal hand raised to his bony chin, the taller skeleton seemed to pondered on the answer given to him. A moment later, he finally nodded. "GOOD ENOUGH OF AN ANSWER! YOU MAY PROCEED, HUMAN! NYEH HEH HEH!"

With what seemed like a routine in the snowy forests, he turned and walked off, cape fluttering in the wind. The nation looked at Sans, who shrugged.

"papyrus... finds difficulty in interesting places." He started. "yesterday, he got stumped trying to 'solve' the horoscope. by the way, i'm curious. can you really not do either of them?"

"Well, I don't really like to think very much. It always hurt my brain to think." Italy said. "But I like to think I can do it, if I try."

After the brief conversation, the auburn haired Italian headed off to the next area, humming. He could see two tables in the distance, one carrying what appeared to be a microwave and the other… the other..

Italy gasped. He would recognise it from even that far ahead. His feet began to move faster as his voice sang a joyful tune.

"Pasta!"

* * *

 **A/N: OMG, YES. Fanfiction exists! I AM SO GODDAMN GLAD!**

 **In case you haven't heard, my sorry excuse of a country (Not that much since the election, bless) decided to block this website. The pain and anger that came from it has mostly dulled since then, but I'm still a bit mad from that. Their 'reason' for blocking it was not very good. I'll just let you guys search for it. The only place where I can see fanfic is at my aunts' house, in Singapore.**

 **But recently, I started university, and though I've been busy, I try to make time. I found out that my uni actually let be, unblocked. And this will be an advantage I will exploit as much as I can.**

 **So! First things first, I just wanna say, hey! It's so nice to see you again! It has been a long, long time. Have you watch Infinity War? It was a fun 2 hours, wasn't it?**

 ***cries***

 **Anyway, I have posted a new story! Yay, advertising for the win! This is a Hetalia fanfic, unfortunately available at Quotev only, and my first take on the classic mystery trope because I've been wanting to write that for so long. And watching 'Murder On Orient Express' further ignited that fire. Did anyone watch that? Amazing, I tell you. I did not expect that twist.**

 **Without further ado, here is a little sneak peek for my story. If you like it, come join the adventure. Oh one last thing, it's a choice based story, so everything you do is up to you. Now, sit back and enjoy.**

* * *

You take a glance at the surrounding of the study room, taking in the details. There were rows upon rows of books on the shelves, all hiding some sort of confidential information. Ahead you was a set of a wooden office table and chairs. You heard a squeak of a door opening, and the silhoulette of [The Musician] entered the room.

"I apologise to call you two so suddenly." He said. You noted that the man seemed tired, as if the weight of the world weigh down on him. "There's a reason I invited the both of you. I need your help."

The room was silent for a moment.

"A help, sir?" [The Detective] hesitantly asked. "May I ask what for?"

...

"Ciao, bella!" [The Journalist] greeted you with a wave of his hands. "How was your rest?"

"Fine." You replied, resisting the urge to knead your aching forehead. You looked to your left, where [The Investigator] sat on the sofa, his aura noticibly subdued. "Hey, you alright?"

"Hmm?" He looked up at you, a smile growing on his lips. "I'm fine, chief. Just had a rough night."

"If you say so.." You frowned, someone's presence was absent. "Hey, you know where's [The Doctor]?"

"I think he's upstairs sleeping." He replied. "I tried to wake him up, but he shooed me away."

You cracked a smile. That was so typical of him to do that. Before you could progress further into your conversation, [The CEO] spoke up, his voice annoyed.

"Where's [The Musician]? Why isn't he here yet?" He huffed crossing his arms. "Is this how you treat your guests?"

"Calm down, friend." [The Actor] said, his voice smooth. "I'm sure he'll be here in just a moment. Madam, where is your husband?"

"I'm not sure. He's never taken this long to get ready." [The Housewife] answered, uncertainty in her tone. She glanced at the door, a worried expression on her face. "I'll try to find him. I've asked [The Chef] to make breakfast, you all should stay here and wait."

There was something seriously wrong here. A sense of foreboding and dread had settled its place in your stomach, and you feel mildly nauseous. You glanced around, eyes searching and meeting that pair of eyes you were looking for. A silent conversation took place for a moment, and the both of you nodded.

"Actually, [The Housewife]?" [The Detective] interjected. "May I accompany you?"

"Ah, yes, please." She said, grateful. "Come with me then."

The two left the room. The other occupants returned back to the conversation they were having, most about the party that had ensued the previous night. You motioned [The Investigator] to come closer.

"Chief, what's going on?" He asked in a hushed tone, worry glinting in his eyes. "You seem tense."

"I am tense. I fear the case just got complicated." A scream shattered the quiet atmosphere, shocking every resident in the mansion. All heads turned towards the door. You felt a chill ran down your spine as your body seemed to act on its own, moving in a sprint to the source of the scream. "Oh no."

Your feet skidding into a halt, you glanced at the pair in front of you. The poor woman clung to [The Detective] as she sobbed endlessly, brokenly. Your eyes moved upwards and they widened, seeing a sight would haunt you for the rest of your life. Behind you, you hear the thunderous footsteps, signalling the appearance of everyone by their various yells and screams. You looked at the two, and behind you, realisation chilling you to the core.

You were in the middle of a crime scene, and everyone you see is a suspect.


End file.
